First quarter emblematic of rough night for Cavs in Game 3 loss to Knicks: Ashley Bastock

CLEVELAND, Ohio — It was a tough starting, and solely an indication of worse issues to come back.

For those who turned on Recreation 3 between the Cavs and Knicks on Friday night anytime in the course of the first quarter and solely noticed the rating, you’d be forgiven in the event you thought to your self, “Is that this a highschool recreation?”

No, sadly for Cleveland followers, your eyes didn’t deceive you. It was a rock combat from the leap, and when the buzzer sounded on the finish of the primary 12 minutes, the rating was 17-17.

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Sure. 17.

1. 7.

Seventeen.

As within the reply to the maths equation 10+7=X. For every staff. After 12 minutes of NBA basketball.

And make no mistake about it. Each groups had been about equally as dangerous on the offensive finish for many of the evening as evidenced by the 99-79 last rating.

The Cavs shot 8 of 24 from the sector, aiding on solely 4 photographs whereas additionally committing 4 turnovers. They had been 1 of 11 from 3 — a 9% mark. They solely received to the foul line as soon as, as Caris LeVert missed each makes an attempt.

And look — issues had been tough for Cleveland. However they weren’t a lot better for New York.

The Knicks had been simply 6 of 23 from the sector and a pair of of 12 from 3 (16.7%) with solely two assists and two turnovers.

And yeah, after 12 minutes of basketball that was completely brutal, each groups nonetheless broke even on the finish of it, so it wasn’t precisely the distinction maker of the sport.

Nevertheless it was the tone setter.

And it was a foul signal that from the leap, the Cavs couldn’t get it collectively and pull forward when the Knicks had been having related points. For many of the first quarter, it felt like Cleveland’s offense had not rhythm. Photographs had been fast, so there was no circulation to the offense and so they weren’t giving themselves an opportunity to interrupt down the Knicks protection by chucking the ball up.

Their offensive circulation and rhythm by no means got here all through the sport. The Cavs shot simply 38% from the sector (31 of 80, and seven of 33 from 3) and ended with an uncharacteristic 21 turnovers that value them 28 factors.

However very similar to the primary quarter, whereas it remained a foul evening offensively for Cleveland, it was nonetheless a foul evening for the Knicks, too. They failed to attain 100 factors. Jalen Brunson was the main scorer with 21 factors, a reasonably modest output. They ended with only a 105.4 offensive score.

The Knicks had been dangerous on Friday. The Cavs had been simply worse.

And that makes it extra irritating.

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