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The first clash this season between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks was a playoff rematch in name only.
The Cavaliers will hope to be closer to full strength Wednesday night when they visit New York as a home-and-home set between the Eastern Conference rivals concludes.
On Tuesday night, Julius Randle posted 19 points and 10 rebounds for the visiting Knicks, who pulled away in the second half to defeat the undermanned Cavaliers 109-91.
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 26 points for the Cavaliers in his return from a one-game absence caused by a hamstring injury. But Cleveland — playing without starters Darius Garland (hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (ankle) as well as key reserve Caris LeVert (hamstring) — held just a pair of two-point first-quarter leads against the Knicks, who outscored the hosts 51-39 in the second half.
Garland has missed the past three games while Allen has yet to play this season. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff hopes Allen will return soon.
“It’s hit us at a tough time, obviously,” Bickerstaff said Tuesday night. “Our approach is no different, but you have to accept the results of the situation.”
The result Tuesday was the same as the last time the Knicks and Cavaliers played in April, when New York defeated Cleveland four games to one in an Eastern Conference first-round series.
Mitchell acknowledged Tuesday that the Cavaliers were eager to face the Knicks again but that it couldn’t become the focal point for Cleveland, which will face New York just once more this season after Wednesday, in Ohio on March 3.
“You always have that game circled,” Mitchell said. “But at the end of the day, we lost. Move on. It’s a new year. We’re competitors, for sure. When you lose to a team like that, you want to go out there and get it. But we’ve got to go out and get one (Wednesday). And if not, we have to move on with this season.”
While the final margin of victory Tuesday was lopsided, New York will be looking to play a more complete game Wednesday. Randle posted his fourth double-double in as many games this season, but the Knicks got a large chunk of their offense from reserves Immanuel Quickley and Isaiah Hartenstein, who combined for 31 points while shooting 52.4 percent (11 of 21).
With the starters on the floor to open the second half, the Knicks missed two of their first three shots and committed a turnover before coach Tom Thibodeau called timeout with 10:32 left and New York up 60-56.
“Can’t say exactly what he said,” Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson said.
The Knicks responded to Thibodeau’s tongue-lashing by outscoring the Cavaliers 26-12 over the remainder of the third quarter. New York led by as much as 23 points in the fourth.
“The first five minutes you’ve got to be ready,” Thibodeau said. “Usually we’re pretty good from that aspect, so we had to get going. We had to get going together. Sometimes there’s a tendency to ease into things. You can’t. I knew there was urgency on their part.”
–Field Level Media
