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The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the New York Knicks 109-97. Donovan Mitchell finished with a season-high 37 points.
The Cavs started strong for the second night in a row, showing active hands defensively in the first quarter to force three Knicks turnovers. They also held the Knicks to just 3-of-11 three-point shooting in the opening quarter.
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Karl-Anthony Towns kept New York attached. He scored 14 points in the first quarter while throwing down a pair of thunderous dunks. This was a much more difficult matchup for Mobley than the previous night, when he held Joel Embiid to 0-of-9 shooting.
A Knicks run led by Jalen Brunson put New York back in front going into halftime. Brunson hit tough shots en route to 16 points in a five-minute stretch. He finished the first half with 20 points.
Cleveland trailed 63-53 at halftime. Then the Knicks blew it open in the third quarter to extend an 18-point lead into the final frame.
New York’s quick-hitting offense, which thrives on off-ball movement and screening, had the Cavs perpetually lost throughout the night. James Harden struggled to navigate screens, while the rest of the Cavaliers (even Evan Mobley) weren’t able to communicate cleanly enough to avoid giving up opportunities at the rim.
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This proved to be a bad combination for the Cavs in last year’s playoffs, and it looks like their personnel still isn’t able to keep up with New York’s offense.
Towns and Brunson ended with a combined 60 points. The Cavs ended this game needing far more from Evan Mobley and James Harden. The two combined for just 19 points. It felt like Mitchell was the only Cavalier who could find his shot for most of the night.
Of course, the Cavs were without some key players tonight. Jarrett Allen missed his third straight game, while Jaylon Tyson has been sidelined since before Halloween. Sam Merrill, who injured his elbow in Friday’s game, was also out tonight.
Still, there’s a larger trend of the Knicks simply outplaying the Cavs. Sometimes a team has your number, and it feels like the Knicks have held an advantage over Cleveland since 2023.
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/cavs-lose-knicks-109-97-032443849.html
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Publish date : 2026-11-08 03:24:00
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