The Cleveland Cavaliers are out for revenge against the New York Knicks and are looking to spoil the third leg of their three-game road trip in tomorrow night’s Halloween matchup.
Cavaliers Focused on Getting Even With Knicks
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post shared comments from several Cavaliers players regarding their thirst to get even after losing 4-1 to the Knicks in their 2023 Eastern Conference first-round series, including this from Evan Mobley:
“It’s a big game for us,” Mobley said. “Definitely want to go out there and really show our crowd and show our team we’re out here to fight and move forward and keep getting better and I feel like it’s going to be a good game.”
After acquiring star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell in the summer of 2022, the Cavaliers were projected to be a serious threat to win the East alongside a towering frontcourt of Mobley and Jarrett Allen as well as talented playmaking from Darius Garland and Caris LeVert.
On paper, the Cavaliers had a roster that matched up evenly with the Knicks at the least. Albeit, New York dominated Cleveland, stealing home-court advantage from the third-best home team in the conference. The gentleman’s sweep left a bad taste in the Cavaliers’ mouth which has lingered up until now.
Mobley was not the only Cavs player to speak on his yearning for a get-back against the Knicks. Isaac Okoro joined in, saying that “losing to the Knicks stuck with me for a pretty long time,” and that it took time for him to move past it. Their first regular season duel will test who can draw first blood and spark a potential rivalry.
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Which Team Will Reach .500 in the Anticipated Playoff Rematch?
The Knicks (1-2) have struggled in their first taste of regular-season action. The Boston Celtics muddied their home opener with a clutch performance from Kristaps Porzingis and the New Orleans Pelicans held Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson to under 30 percent shooting from the floor for the second time in three games.
While the Knicks’ stars have not put forth the best individual performances, the team is playing aggressively inside, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds (No. 2 overall) and getting to the line 24 times a game (No. 10 overall).
The Cavaliers (1-2) have also struggled, barely getting the win over the Brooklyn Nets on opening night before falling in consecutive games to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. Despite the record, Mitchell has played lights out behind 35 PPG. Cleveland also has six players scoring in double-figures and are shooting well from deep.
The Knicks will finish their early season road trip at Rocket Mortgage Field House against the Cavaliers tomorrow night at 7:30 pm EST in the first of a TNT doubleheader. The Knicks ought to feel good about facing a 1-2 Cavaliers team that is also the only franchise in the East with a 0-2 home record.
