CLEVELAND — In a dominant display, Donovan Mitchell tallied 27 points and Evan Mobley contributed 21, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a convincing 142-105 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night. The outcome highlighted the Cavaliers’ status as one of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders, marking their sixth consecutive win and elevating their record to an impressive 46-10, the best in the NBA. Remarkably, Cleveland has won 34 of their games by at least ten points.
On the Knicks’ side, Jalen Brunson managed to score 26 points while Karl-Anthony Towns added 23. Despite triumphing over Chicago in an overtime thriller just a day earlier, New York’s performance fell flat against the Cavaliers, signifying their largest defeat of the season. Even with the quick turnaround, the Knicks could not provide a valid excuse for their lackluster performance, as Cleveland also played the night before, garnering a win in Brooklyn.
The game took a brief turn of concern when All-Star guard Darius Garland suffered an awkward fall, making contact with the floor. Garland had previously missed extensive time due to a broken jaw last season; however, he managed to continue playing. The Cavaliers faced further adversity when center Jarrett Allen sustained an injury to his right hand in the latter half of the match but returned negative X-ray results. Coach Kenny Atkinson indicated that Allen will have an MRI scheduled for Saturday to assess the situation further.
In terms of team roster updates, the Knicks were without their versatile swingman, Josh Hart, who sat out his second consecutive game due to a sore right knee. Conversely, the Cavaliers welcomed Dean Wade back from injury, which provides them with much-needed depth and flexibility on defense, enhancing their overall fitness as a team.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Mitchell went on a scoring spree near the end of the second quarter, nailing three 3-pointers within a 1:43 window, which propelled the Cavaliers to a commanding 27-point lead at halftime.
Statistically, Mitchell has consistently excelled against the Knicks, entering the game with an average of 30.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists across his last nine regular-season meetings with them.
Looking ahead, both teams have important matchups this weekend. The Knicks will be heading to Boston on Sunday, while the Cavaliers will host the high-scoring Memphis Grizzlies on the same night.
