"The Cavs are built to be an excellent offensive team," cetus Bontemps. Ia mengingatkan bahwa performa buruk di lini serang harus segera diperbaiki.

"And their offense was not good enough tonight," tuturnya. Menurutnya, Cleveland memiliki materi pemain yang mampu mengimbangi permainan fisik Knicks.

"They have the talent to win the series," ujar Bontemps. Ia menegaskan kualitas Cavaliers sejatinya setara dengan Knicks.

"They can play with the Knicks," ucapnya. Namun, ia memprediksi momentum kemenangan beruntun akan dimanfaatkan penuh oleh New York.

"But if the Knicks are going into this game Saturday night, they have a chance to end this thing," kata Bontemps.

Kunci Sukses Knicks: Kedisiplinan dan Brunson

Pelatih Knicks Mike Brown menegaskan bahwa pencapaian timnya tidak diraih dengan mudah. "Tidak ada yang mudah dalam hal ini," katanya.

Brown memuji konsistensi dan mental bertanding para pemainnya.

"They do the things that I always talk about: they hold each other accountable, they trust the process, they play with an unmatched competitive spirit," ujarnya.

Ia menekankan kedisiplinan dan komunikasi sebagai kunci utama.

"If you do those things while focusing on the details, communicating, and bringing energy and effort, you give yourself a chance to win a few games in a row," kata Brown.

Pada Game 2, Jalen Brunson mengemas 14 assist untuk kemenangan timnya. Pelatih Cavaliers Kenny Atkinson mengakui taktik bertahannya untuk meredam Brunson justru membuka ruang bagi pemain Knicks lainnya.

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"That's what great players do, right? They read the game, and the game dictates that.