By Joel Reyes
The Cleveland Cavaliers surged ahead in the third quarter of their series opener against the New York Knicks, building an 83-69 lead in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday (PH time) at Madison Square Garden.
The Cavs outscored the Knicks 35-23 during that period to enter the fourth quarter with a double-digit advantage.
Donovan Mitchell continued to flourish in his first-ever Conference Finals game, scoring 26 points through the opening three quarters. He shot 11-for-17 from the field.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks' offense with 21 points. Josh Hart added 13 points for the Knicks, who have 12 more minutes to avoid losing the opening game of the East Finals for the second straight year.