Welcome to the Garden: Knicks vs. Cavs

Eastern Conference Finals Game 1: Knicks vs. Cavaliers (01:00 BST)

After the Cleveland Cavaliers utterly dismantled the Pistons in their Game 7 masterpiece, they don't get a single second to celebrate. Tonight, they walk directly into a feral New York crowd to kick off the Eastern Conference Finals.

This series is pure mechanical friction. The Knicks rely on a brutal, slow-tempo, physical defensive grid designed to completely wear opponents down over 48 minutes. The Cavs are relying on the high-frequency momentum of Donovan Mitchell and a vintage James Harden.  

The Play: Cleveland is riding incredibly high, but the physical and emotional toll of a grueling 7-game war usually catches up to a team in a Game 1 on the road. I am backing the Knicks -5.5 to set a highly physical tone early inside the Garden and take full advantage of a tired, travel-weary Cavs rotation.