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NBA Knicks on brink of advancing as Brunson sinks Cavs / Photo: ELSA - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
NBA Knicks on brink of advancing as Brunson sinks Cavs
Jalen Brunson scored 29 points as the New York Knicks took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 102-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA playoffs on Sunday.
Brunson drained five three-pointers and finished with six assists and six rebounds to electrify a raucous Madison Square Garden.
The result leaves the Knicks needing just one win from three games to advance past the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2013.
New York, which scored a dominant 99-79 victory in game three, looked poised for another big win after roaring to a 15-point lead in the second quarter.
But after the Knicks led by nine points at half-time, Cleveland fought back with a big third quarter, outscoring the hosts 26-19.
That helped the Cavs sneak into a narrow lead late in the third, but a sustained rally by the Knicks in the fourth settled a pulsating contest.
Brunson was one of four players in double figures with R.J. Barrett providing offensive support with 26 points.
Josh Hart added 19 while Mitchell Robinson chipped in with 12 points and 11 rebounds to leave the Knicks firmly on course for an Eastern Conference semi-finals showdown with either Milwaukee or Miami.
Darius Garland led the Cleveland scoring with 23 points but Donovan Mitchell had a game to forget after finishing with just 11 points. The Cavs playmaker was restricted to just two points in the second half.
The series now heads back to Cleveland for game five on Wednesday.
I.Pfeiffer--BlnAP
