The New York Knicks were unable to hold a double-digit lead and couldn’t halt the Cleveland Cavaliers’ late rally as they fell short of gaining their second consecutive victory Monday, losing by a score of 110-104. The Knicks are now 1-2 on the year while the Cavaliers remain undefeated at 4-0.
The Knicks had a lousy ending to the game in which they were outscored 36-26 in the fourth quarter. Cavaliers guard Darius Garland caught fire late, scoring 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and ultimately sealing the Knicks’ fate.
The Knicks didn’t get enough from Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson against the Cavaliers
Perhaps the Knicks’ top two players, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were the most silent on the floor. Brunson shot the ball poorly, going 8-for-24 from the field and 0-for-4 from three with 21 points on the night.
Towns had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but he took just eight shots in the game and was largely uninvolved offensively. Most notably, he was benched late in the fourth quarter for rookie center Ariel Hukporti. Towns entered the fourth quarter with four personal fouls and would end up fouling out in the closing seconds.
The Knicks needed stronger games from their two stars to beat Cleveland. Conversely, the Cavaliers got impact games from their stars, including Garland’s 34 points and an additional 25 from Donovan Mitchell, which proved to be the deciding factor for them.
The Knicks’ shooting went cold in the fourth quarter
New York led by 13 points with 4:30 left in the game but fell flat the rest of the way, shooting 10-for-28 the remainder of the game (h/t SNY’s Ian Begley). Poor shot selection along with the stifling Cavaliers’ defense led to their demise.
The Knicks shot just 8-for-21 in the fourth quarter including 1-for-5 from three, which allowed Cleveland to snatch an eight-point lead and flip the script on the game. Some crucial fouls late spoiled the Knicks’ chances at a rally, including a wild posterizer dunk by Hukporti that was erased by an offensive foul call.
Overall on the night, New York shot just 44% from the floor and 32% from three. It was their first true bad shooting night of the young season, and the hope is that the bad trends do not continue in their next game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Josh Hart had his second straight double-double
The biggest bright spot for the Knicks was the impact play from Josh Hart. Originally listed as questionable for the game with an ankle injury, Hart showed off the tenacity and elite hustle that makes him so effective.
He recorded his second consecutive double-double with 16 points, a team-high 13 rebounds, and three steals. He has scored in double figures in all three games so far this season after scoring two total points across four preseason games.
Hart left the game late in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a shin injury. He collided with a Cavalier chasing a loose ball, and stayed in the game briefly but was subbed out for Miles McBride and would not return. There is currently no update on his status.
The Knicks will look to get back on track this week with the start of a four-game road trip. Their next game is against the Heat on Wednesday followed by the Detroit Pistons on Friday.