USC in the NBA Playoffs: Evan Mobley and the Cavs face the Knicks

Evan Mobley takes center stage and tries to defeat a resurgent Knicks team which hopes to make a postseason splash.

The Cleveland Cavaliers face the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Cavs are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and the Knicks are the fifth seed. This series could be one of the best of the first round.

Former USC Trojans star Evan Mobley has made the transition to the NBA a smooth one. Moley has become a focal point of the Cavs on both ends of the floor. He finished the regular season third in PPG with 16.2 along with nine rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Against the Knicks, Mobley will have his hands full with Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson clogging the paint for New York.

In the most recent game against the Knicks, Mobley finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in 41 minutes in a loss. Cleveland might need to depend on him more throughout this series.

The Cavs lost in the play-in tournament a year ago, and now they get a chance to win a first-round series, although it won’t be easy.

Mobley’s presence on offense and defense will likely set the tone for the Cavs, and it will be interesting to see how he performs against the Randle-Robinson duo.

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