Stephen A. Smith is emphatic after New York Knicks take a 2-1 lead over the Cavaliers- "Orange and blue skies baby"
Diehard New York Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith predicted his team would take Game 3 over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. The ESPN analyst's forecast was spot on when the Knicks demolished the Cavs 99-79 for a 2-1 series lead.
After the game, one of the sports industry's most popular talk show hosts quickly sounded off on Twitter:
"Didn't I tell you?! I know what I said 'cause I was there when I said it. New York stand up! New York stand up! Orange and blue skies baby!"
Orange and blue skies baby! New York stand up! https://t.co/2M40Csw0xP
Heading into Friday night's Game 3 showdown, Smith declared this on "First Take:"
(4:25 mark)
“I promise you this: Cleveland ain’t winning Friday. You can cancel that trip. You thought that Mobley and Allen and them were shivering in Game 1? Wait till they roll up to the Garden on Friday. They ain’t seen nothing like that.”
Behind a rowdy MSG crowd that had the arena rocking, the Knicks played the kind of basketball that was reminiscent of their beloved '90s team. They held a team that hadn't scored less than 80 points this season to just 79.
Tom Thibodeau's defensive gem held Cleveland to just 38.8% from the field, including an atrocious 21.2% from behind the arc.
Darius Garland, who lit up the New York Knicks in Game 2 with 26 first-half points, bled for 10 in Game 3. Garland was 4-21 and missed all but one of his seven attempts from deep.
New York native Donovan Mitchell couldn't get himself going either. He had 22 points on 9-19 shooting. Mitchell had more turnovers (6) than assists (5), which typified the kind of night Cleveland had at Madison Square Garden.
Stephen A. Smith was confident that the Knicks would win because he expected New York's perimeter players to do better in Game 3. Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickley and Josh Hart combined for 45 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
RJ Barrett, who averaged just 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals in the series, broke out of his slump. He dropped 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal tonight.
Game 4 will be on Sunday. A New York Knicks win would put the Cleveland Cavaliers on the brink of elimination.
Stephen A. Smith predicts the New York Knicks will win the series in six games
Stephen A. Smith originally asserted that the New York Knicks will win the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. Before the said episode of "First Take" ended, he changed his mind.
Here's Smith's prediction:
(2:30 mark)
"I expect the New York Knicks to go back to the Garden and handle their business. They might win in six! ... They might win both of these games at the Garden. If they win both of these games, I'll concede they'll lose Game 5. They ain't losing a Game 6 in the Garden.
"Do you see LeBron [James] walking through that door in Cleveland? I don't see him walking through that door in Cleveland. I think he's in LA.
Game 3 is in the bag for the New York Knicks. If they win Game 4, Stephen A. Smith's Game 6 prediction just might become a reality.
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