Getting Ready For Game 5

Donovan Mitchell has lost 11 of the past 14 postseason games he's played in.

As if Knicks fans couldn't be more juiced for Game 5, the Heat shockingly beat the Bucks in Miami Monday night to take a 3-1 series lead in that matchup. Suddenly, the possibility of New York making some SERIOUS noise this postseason seems far less far-fetched than it did a few days ago. 

However, let's first take a look ahead to the business at hand: Game 5 in Cleveland on Wednesday night.

History tells us that the toughest game to win in any series is the elimination game. And it makes sense. Your opponent is dangerously desperate. Winning a close-out contest on the road is doubly difficult.

So, make no mistake, this series is still very much for grabs. If the Cavs win Wednesday, the pressure shifts back to the Knicks a bit, as they would have to win Friday night at MSG to avoid a Game 7 in Cleveland. Consequently, securing this series with a statement victory in Game 5 would be huge. 

And there are plenty of reasons for Knicks fans to feel confident. Dating back to early December, these two teams have played seven times, and New York has won six of those seven (the final three meetings in the regular season and three of four in this series).

The biggest reason for optimism from New York's perspective is the presence of Jalen Brunson. He has been incredibly consistent all year, so it's no surprise that after averaging 25.3 points and 6.0 assists vs. Cleveland in the regular season, he is putting up 24.3 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 4.3 RPG in the playoffs. 

Brunson is the seventh player in Knicks franchise history to average more than 24 PPG over the first four games of a postseason series. The other six are Patrick Ewing, Bernard King and Carmelo Anthony, Walt Frazier, Dick Barnett and Willis Reed. Brunson and Clyde are the Knicks to average 5+ assists and 24+ points.

One of the ways New York has helped free up Brunson vs. Cleveland in the first four contests has been by using different scree-and-roll combos. Per Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer: "Through four games, 53 percent of screens set for Brunson have been by a guard or a wing, according to Second Spectrum. During the season, that number was only at 12 percent. In other words, the Knicks went from having a big set a screen for Brunson nearly nine out of 10 times during the season to less than half that against the Cavs."

While there are many unknowns heading into the crucial Game 5 Wednesday night, New York having Brunson on their side is a key advantage. 

Speaking of unanswered questions, here are three facing New York:

1. Will "Regular Season Randle" Re-Emerge? 

It's stunning the Knicks are up 3-1 in this series despite their leading scorer averaging just 14.8 points (while slashing 32/26/64%) and racking up more turnovers (14) than assists (10). Unfortunately for New York, this has been a troubling trend, as Randle also struggled in NY's first-round series vs. Atlanta two years ago. He's now logged over 900 minutes in nine career playoff games and is shooting just 30.8% from the field in those nine contests (49-fo-159). 

According to Basketball Reference, over the past 40 years, 898 NBA players have attempted at least 100 field goals in their postseason career. Of those 898 players, Randle has the lowest cumulative FG percentage (slightly worse than Lindsey Hunter and Chris Duhon). 

Thibs said Sunday that Randle was bothered by the ankle injury he initially suffered late last month. However, speaking with reporters after Tuesday's practice, Randle said his ankle and conditioning are fine. When asked about his defensive effort, Randle replied: "That's for you to judge." The Knicks haven't needed him yet, but they may require a vintage Regular-Season Randle performance from their burly power forward to put the final nail in Cleveland's coffin.