Knicks 107, Cavaliers 98: Good things come in threes
The most surprising win of this surprising season
I could write about one team never giving up, never letting go, but you already know that. I could write about the other team evoking the brainless Scarecrow, heartless Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, all together. But you’ve heard that tale, too. I could highlight any number of heroic individuals and still fail to capture what happened last night in Cleveland; that’d be like attending an unforgettable concert, then afterwards thanking the C#s separately, the F naturals, the B-flats. So let’s talk numbers.
Of all the numbers that stand out from the New York Knicks’ 107-98 upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the one that stands out is three. Three more Knicks were injured or banged-up, beginning with Jalen Brunson in the opening minute. The early vibes suggest the Knicks caught a break, with X-rays indicating Brunson suffered a knee contusion and Tom Thibodeau saying it’s possible the star guard plays next game tomorrow vs. Atlanta. Tomorrow’s blessings are usually invisible today, but it sure seems like every Knick injury gets positively spun: Brunson caught a break; Julius Randle’s shoulder could’ve been worse; OG Anunoby’s surgery was a simple clean-up; Mitchell Robinson is closer than you think. And yet the M.A.S.H. unit continues to grow, unabated.
Donte DiVincenzo struggled at one point, hobbling and seemingly re-aggravating whatever leg issue has been lingering the past few weeks. Late in the game, Isaiah Hartenstein took a shot in the face from Max Strus.
I didn’t elaborate on DDV and iHart’s injuries because they didn’t, either. The former once again played like an All-Star, scoring all 28 of his points in the first and third quarters. Hartenstein looked more like his old self than he has in weeks, providing a Nikola Jokić-like eight points, seven rebounds and eight assists in just 23 minutes and the game’s funniest moment, when he grabbed the final defensive rebound of the night, preventing Josh Hart from what would have been his career-high 20th. Hart settled for another triple-double — 13/19/10 — plus three threes, two steals and two blocks.
New York’s defense has tumbled down the rankings during their run of injuries, and after Brunson was lost one might have expected that to continue, even with Cleveland missing Donovan Mitchell. Instead the Knicks held the Cavs under 100, just the third time they’ve scored that few since December, a span of 40 games. Perhaps most impressive was something that doesn’t get a lot of press in 2024: the Cavaliers, with their size and their deeper bench and home court “advantage,” only made three free throws (they missed five). That’s as many as Alec Burks made by himself. No Knick committed more than three fouls — that’s INSANE for a team that was shorthanded coming into the game and then lost another player.
Three Knicks made multiple 3-pointers: DiVincenzo, Hart and Miles McBride — McBride, mind you, came into the game in the first minute for Brunson, then proceeded to play the next 47 straight, defend Cleveland’s best available offensive player in Darius Garland, score 16 and dish five dimes — all while committing zero turnovers and snatching Evan Mobley’s soul.
Ironically for today’s game, it was two-pointers where the Knicks enjoyed their biggest edge (+8), with Bojan Bogdanović doing the most damage inside the arc. That provided depth for the offense, preventing the defense from focusing too much on the 3-point line, while also creating drive-and-kick opportunities for Bogey’s teammates.
Last night was the third and final meeting between last year’s playoff foes, with the Knicks winning the season series 2-1. They’re four games back in the loss column with 21 to play, and with Cleveland having Mitchell in street clothes for four of the past seven games, maybe the tiebreaker comes into play — the Cavaliers have lost three of the four games sans Donovan, the only win coming over Detroit. They’ve been open since last April that they’re driven to pay the Knicks back for knocking them out of the playoffs. Getting what you want isn’t the same thing as being happy. Cavs fans have to be wondering whether these Knicks are someone they’d rather not see anymore of.
