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Posted at 11:00 AM EST. Odds are subject to change.

New York -6½ -110 over Cleveland 

Play off Series game 2

New York Leads series 1-0

8:00 PM EST. Game 1 couldn't have unfolded any better for Cleveland. The Cavaliers caught New York coming off a lengthy layoff, jumped on them early, dictated the pace, built a massive lead and had complete control of the game for three quarters and they still lost. That's the problem.

For most of the night, the Knicks looked exactly like a team that hadn't played in a while. Their timing was off. Their offensive rhythm was absent. They lacked energy and execution. In other words, they looked rusty. Yet once they finally found their legs in the fourth quarter, the game completely changed. New York erupted, Cleveland folded and a seemingly comfortable victory turned into a stunning collapse.

What makes this result so troubling for Cleveland is that the Cavaliers were the team that actually arrived battle-tested. They survived a seven-game series against Toronto and then another seven-game war against Detroit. They have been forced to play under pressure throughout the postseason. New York, by contrast, cruised through Atlanta and Philadelphia without much resistance. The Knicks hadn't faced any real adversity before Game 1.

They finally did and they responded.

The comeback wasn't simply about making shots. It was about a team shaking off the rust and rediscovering its identity. Once New York settled in, Cleveland had no answer. The Cavaliers watched a 22-point lead disappear and looked increasingly rattled as the game slipped away. That's been a recurring issue with this group. When things are going well, Cleveland can look dominant. When adversity strikes, they often become erratic and unstable.

Now they have to regroup less than 48 hours after blowing one of the biggest leads in conference finals history.

Meanwhile, New York enters Game 2 with the confidence that comes from knowing its best basketball wasn't even on display until the fourth quarter. The Knicks survived their rusty start, found their rhythm and immediately looked like the superior team. If that's what happened after three quarters of poor basketball, what's the outlook now that they're fully engaged and back in game shape?

The market still appears to be giving Cleveland plenty of credit for how well it played for most of Game 1. We're more interested in how the game ended. New York found its stride. Cleveland lost its composure. One team should improve from its opener. The other has to wonder how it let victory slip through its fingers.

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