Even without Julius Randle, the Knicks are sending a clear message in what is most likely a starter for the challenge between the fourth and fifth forces in the East in the next playoffs. New York’s third out of four win of the season against Cleveland comes at the end of a high-scoring match especially in the first half (151 points combined), with the guests posting a 14-2 run at the start of the fourth period to which the Cavs they never get to answer.
The absolute master of the match is called Jalen Brunson, who touches his career high to 48 thanks to a sensational 18/32 from the field with 7 triples scored on 12 attempts, almost better than the 5/8 he achieves from the line. To those he also adds 9 assists to inspire six other double-digit teammates including 14 from Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett and 12 from Obi Toppin, with the latter two framed by the cameras as they argued on the pitch, only to clarify everything after the match.
Donovan Mitchell breaks a franchise record that belonged to LeBron James by making his eleventh “quarantine” of the season with 42 points and stellar percentages (16/23 from the field including 6/9 from three), with Darius Garland adding 20 and Evan Mobley 14, but the absences of Isaac Okoro and Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup make the Cavs defense porous, who concede 53% from the field to their opponents with 47% from three points. “This loss hurts,” Mitchell said. “We will have to be ready when we probably meet them in two weeks.”