Jalen Brunson rises to rare heights in Game 3 win over Cavaliers
On Friday, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks topped the Cleveland Cavaliers, 99-79, in Game 3 of their first-round playoff matchup, taking a 2-1 series advantage in the process.
Brunson was not only the Knicks' leading scorer, but he also fired up the Madison Square Garden crowd by breaking out a rare dunk in the victory.
Not known for his aerial capabilities, Brunson threw down a fast-break dunk -- just his second dunk of the season -- late in the first half of the win. While the dunk certainly didn't win the game for the Knicks, it helped set the vibe at the Garden for the rest of the night.
For those hoping to see more plays above the rim for Brunson, though, he broke some hearts following the game.
"Don't expect too many more dunks," Brunson said. "Or power layups, whatever you want to call them."
Brunson's dunk even surprised his teammates. Julius Randle told reporters and SNY that for Brunson to rise up and throw one down, he "must have been feeling good."
While Brunson's slam had MSG buzzing, the Knicks' stifling defense against the Cavaliers was the real story of Game 3.
New York clamped down immediately on Cleveland, holding the Cavs to 32 first-half points, a franchise low for a playoff outing. The Knicks continued their hold on the Cavaliers in the second half, too, ultimately becoming the NBA's first team to hold an opponent under 80 points this season.
On the other end of the floor -- along with Brunson's 21 points -- four more Knicks finished in double-figures for New York, including R.J. Barrett (19), Josh Hart (13), Immanuel Quickley (11) and Randle (11).
The Knicks will look to take a 3-1 lead in the series on Sunday when they host the Cavaliers for Game 4 at 1 p.m. EST.
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