Knicks vs. Cavaliers?! Brian Windhorst predicts a TREMENDOUS SHOWDOWN in the playoffs | First Take

I think the Cavs do but I think this has got six or seven written all over it. The reason I say the Cavs is because their top-end talent is a little bit better than the Knicks and in a close playoff series, I always default to that. Donovan Mitchell has been absolutely gearing up. The one thing the Cavs have been able to do over the last three or four weeks, they've known that they're going to be in the playoffs. They haven't had to mess around. J.B. Bickerstaff, their coach, has been playing their guys playoff level minutes and Donovan Mitchell, he was bothered by some injuries around midseason, around the all-star break. He's had three straight 40-point games. He looks spectacular. Evan Mobley continues to be very impressive on the defensive end of the court. Jared Allen has been dealing with a couple of nagging injuries but I think you're headed for a tremendous showdown between Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson. We saw it on Friday night in Cleveland where Jalen Brunson put up 48 on the Cavs in their building on the best defense in the league throughout the season and Donovan answered with 40 of his own. We're going to have some terrific games. The one thing that if you're looking for the Knicks, they're 3-1 against the Cavs this season. The only time the Cavs beat him was way back in October in a night when Kevin Love hit eight three-pointers. It was an abnormal game for this season. The Knicks front line is not as talented as the Cavs front line especially with some uncertainty about Julius Randall. Now I know he's going to be there. The guy doesn't miss games. I just don't know where that ankle is going to be when he gets there. He was still wearing a boot in games when he's on the sideline over the weekend but the Knicks bench is way better than the Cavs. The last two times they played Emmanuel quickly and the guys we comes off the bench with thrashed the Cavs bench. Embarrassed them. The reason the Knicks won that game last Friday was Jalen's 48 but also because the Knicks bench killed the Cavs. So that's an advantage for the Knicks but typically benches are less important in the postseason. Stephen A, I think it's going to be a great series. To me, it's the only series in the East that's going to hold attention in those first 10-12 days of the playoffs and to me it's going to be a prime time event starting next weekend. I personally disagree with you on that. I think that if the Suns end up playing the Warriors in the first round, that is going to be even more compelling than the Knicks-Cavs but I do agree with you. I think this Knicks-Cavs series is meant for seven games. I can see the Knicks having to go into Cleveland, Ohio and win a game seven against Donovan Mitchell. I don't like those chances but I ain't betting against my Knicks. I'm not betting orange and blue skies, baby. Orange and blue skies. Let me tell you something right now. They better not lose. They better not lose to Donovan Mitchell. I've said it before, I'm not joking. If the New York Knicks lose in the first round to Donovan Mitchell, the entire season is ruined.