The New York Knicks had no answers for a dominant Cleveland Cavaliers squad on Friday night, suffering their worst loss of the season in a 142-105 blowout. Coming off an overtime win against Chicago the night before, the Knicks struggled to keep pace with the Eastern Conference-leading Cavs, who flexed their muscle from the opening tip. Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 23, but New York was overwhelmed by Cleveland’s relentless attack.
Donovan Mitchell torched the Knicks once again, scoring 27 points, including three 3-pointers in the final 1:43 of the first half to blow the game open. By halftime, Cleveland had built a commanding 27-point lead, and New York never recovered. Missing the defensive versatility of Josh Hart for a second straight game due to a sore knee, the Knicks couldn’t slow down a Cavs team that has now won six straight and 34 games by double digits this season.
Fatigue couldn’t be an excuse, as Cleveland was also on the second night of a back-to-back after playing in Brooklyn on Thursday. The Knicks now have to regroup quickly after an embarrassing loss, with the playoff race in the East tightening.
Jalen Brunson: B+
Stats: 26 PTS, 4 REB (0 OREB, 4 DREB), 4 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 3 PF, 10-17 FG, 2-4 3PT, 4-4 FT, -17, 28 MIN
Brunson did everything he could to keep the Knicks in the game, scoring an efficient 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting. He was aggressive in attacking the rim and knocked down both of his three-point attempts, but his efforts were overshadowed by Cleveland’s dominant performance. While he added four assists and a steal, his playmaking couldn’t fully compensate for the Knicks’ defensive struggles. Ultimately, his production was solid, but it wasn’t nearly enough to prevent the blowout.
Karl-Anthony Towns: B+
Stats: 23 PTS, 7 REB (2 OREB, 5 DREB), 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TO, 1 PF, 10-15 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-3 FT, -21, 29 MIN
Towns had a strong offensive outing, scoring 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting while also chipping in seven rebounds and four assists. He showed his usual versatility, knocking down mid-range jumpers and finishing around the rim, but his four turnovers were costly. Defensively, he had a few bright spots, including a block, but he struggled to provide resistance against Cleveland’s frontcourt. Despite his solid numbers, his -21 plus/minus reflected how overwhelmed the Knicks were as a team.
Mikal Bridges: C+
Stats: 14 PTS, 1 REB (1 OREB, 0 DREB), 5 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 6-13 FG, 2-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, -22, 29 MIN
Bridges had an up-and-down night, scoring 14 points and dishing out five assists, but he was largely ineffective on the boards with just one rebound. His shooting was decent (6-of-13 from the field), and he showed flashes of shot creation, but his defensive impact was below his usual standard. Given the Knicks’ defensive issues, his inability to slow down Cleveland’s perimeter attack was notable. Bridges has been a key two-way player all season, but this wasn’t one of his best performances.
Precious Achiuwa: C+
Stats: 7 PTS, 10 REB (5 OREB, 5 DREB), 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 3-10 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-2 FT, -25, 28 MIN
Achiuwa brought energy on the glass, hauling in 10 rebounds, including five offensive boards that gave the Knicks some second-chance opportunities. However, his inefficiency on offense (3-of-10 shooting) hurt the team, and he struggled to convert near the rim. While his rebounding was a bright spot, his overall impact was limited, and he found himself in difficult matchups defensively against Cleveland’s bigs.
Pacome Dadiet: C+
Stats: 7 PTS, 1 REB (0 OREB, 1 DREB), 0 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 0 PF, 3-7 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-1 FT, -6, 12 MIN
The youngster saw 12 minutes of action and made the most of his opportunity, scoring seven points and picking up two steals. He played with confidence, attacking the basket and hitting a three-pointer, but his defensive positioning was inconsistent. While his -6 plus/minus was among the better marks on the team, his inexperience showed at times. Nevertheless, it was a respectable performance in limited minutes.
Ariel Hukporti: C
Stats: 4 PTS, 2 REB (1 OREB, 1 DREB), 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO, 4 PF, 2-2 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-2 FT, -16, 19 MIN
Hukporti played 19 minutes and showed flashes of solid interior play, making both of his shot attempts and contributing three assists. Defensively, he had a block and a steal, but he struggled to handle Cleveland’s size and physicality inside. His four fouls limited his effectiveness, and his missed free throws (0-of-2) were a missed opportunity for the Knicks.
Cameron Payne: C
Stats: 5 PTS, 0 REB, 4 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 1-7 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT, -17, 16 MIN
It was a rough shooting night for Payne, who went just 1-of-7 from the field and struggled to find his rhythm offensively. He did, however, contribute four assists and remained active in trying to set up his teammates. Despite his effort, his inability to hit shots hurt the Knicks, and his -17 plus/minus reflected his struggles. On a night when New York needed more backcourt production, Payne simply didn’t provide enough.
Miles McBride: C
Stats: 5 PTS, 3 REB (0 OREB, 3 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 0 PF, 2-5 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, -20, 21 MIN
McBride had a quiet night, finishing with five points and three rebounds while attempting just five shots. He knocked down a three-pointer but didn’t make much of an impact otherwise. His defensive intensity was there, but he couldn’t do much to slow down Cleveland’s offensive onslaught. While he’s been a valuable role player, this game was one to forget for him.
Landry Shamet: C-
Stats: 2 PTS, 2 REB (0 OREB, 2 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, -15, 19 MIN
Shamet played 19 minutes but had little influence on the game, scoring just two points and grabbing two rebounds. He didn’t create much offensively and wasn’t a major defensive presence either. His lone made field goal was one of just two shots he attempted, and he struggled to get involved in the Knicks’ offensive flow. Given his role as a perimeter threat, he needed to be more aggressive.
OG Anunoby: D
Stats: 5 PTS, 0 REB (0 OREB, 0 DREB), 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 1 PF, 2-6 FG, 1-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, -23, 27 MIN
Anunoby had arguably his worst game as a Knick, finishing with just five points and failing to record a single rebound or assist. He looked disengaged at times, and his usually strong defense was nowhere to be found as Cleveland ran up the score. His -23 plus/minus was the worst on the team, reflecting how much the Knicks struggled when he was on the floor. Given his importance to the team, this was a highly disappointing outing.
Delon Wright: N/A
Stats: 4 PTS, 1 REB (0 OREB, 1 DREB), 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-4 FT, 0, 9 MIN
Wright only played nine minutes but showed some flashes of impact, recording four points, two assists, and a steal. He made one of his two shot attempts and was active defensively. While his role was minimal, he at least contributed in a few areas during his limited time on the court.
Matt Ryan: N/A
Stats: 3 PTS, 1 REB (0 OREB, 1 DREB), 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 1-3 FG, 1-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, -3, 4 MIN
Ryan saw just four minutes of garbage time action, knocking down one three-pointer and adding a rebound and two assists. It’s hard to take much away from such limited minutes, but he made the most of his brief stint on the floor.
