Here are the top performers on May 24 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Mikal Bridges NYK SF 22 PTS | 6 REB | 3 STL | 45.2 FPS
Bridges continues to torch the Cavs, averaging 19.7 points on 71% shooting through three games in the series. While he’s been a legitimate force offensively, he made an even bigger impact today, posting a playoff-high in rebounds while also recording five stocks. Clearly, the Cavs haven’t had an answer for Bridges, so he should be able to maintain this level in Game 4.
BREAKOUT:
Karl Anthony-Towns NYK C 13 PTS | 8 REB | 7 AST | 45.1 FPS
Towns dominated to open the game, scoring 11 points in the first quarter on excellent shooting percentages. While he couldn’t sustain that standard offensively, he made up for it by contributing all over the stat sheet. Still, he made his biggest impact in playmaking, recording a game-high in assists without a single turnover.
SLEEPER:
Max Strus CLE SF 13 PTS | 7 REB | 6 AST | 33.4 FPS
This matchup has been a struggle for Strus. In the first two games, he was ineffective, shooting just 3-for-10 from three while committing 11 fouls and six turnovers. He was able to turn things around today, however, knocking down four threes for his best scoring game of the series while also making significant contributions in the secondary categories and finishing with zero turnovers. The Cavs will definitely need this kind of performance again from him in Game 4 to avoid elimination.
ELITE ASSET:
Jalen Brunson NYK PG 30 PTS | 3 REB | 6 AST | 41.6 FPS
Through three games in this series, three-point shooting has certainly been a major weakness for Brunson, as he has converted just 2-of-17 attempts. Still, he has continued to find ways to score at a high level, like he did today, shooting 10-for-19 from the field and 10-for-12 from the line to lead all players in scoring and record his fifth 30-point outing of the playoffs.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Josh Hart NYK SG 12 PTS | 9 REB | 4 STL | 38.3 FPS
Offensively, this was the exact opposite of his performance in Game 2. Hart finished with his lowest-scoring game of the series, shooting just 2-for-7 from three while also tying his playoff high in turnovers today. Despite that, he still made a significant impact overall, especially on the defensive end, as he led all players in both rebounds and steals.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
OG Anunoby NYK SF 21 PTS | 7 REB | 4 AST | 34.4 FPS
In terms of scoring, this was clearly his best performance since returning from a hamstring injury. He recorded his fifth 20-point game of the postseason through superb shooting from all levels. The downside, however, was that he made little impact defensively. Nonetheless, his improvement as a scorer was a major positive going forward.
STREAMER:
Landry Shamet NYK SG 14 PTS | 1 REB | 3 AST | 17.7 FPS
Shamet was instrumental in their Game 1 win, igniting the comeback by shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range. He couldn’t make the same impact in Game 2, but he came through in a big way today, knocking down three triples in the fourth quarter to help extend the lead and eventually secure their tenth consecutive win.
FLOPPER:
James Harden CLE SG 19 PTS | 5 REB | 5 AST | 29.5 FPS
Except for the second quarter, Harden had a rough game today, and he ended it even worse by failing to attempt a single shot and finishing scoreless in the fourth. Despite that, he still had a well-rounded performance, though he was clearly inefficient. He was once again off from three-point range, shooting just 1-for-7 while also recording more turnovers than assists — both of which have been major issues in this series.
