The Cleveland Cavaliers looked much-more like the team they were expected to be this season. The only problem was, they reverted back to their old ways down the stretch. The New York Knicks erased a 17-point deficit with 10 minutes left in the fourth, thanks to their offensive rebounding as they came away with the 126-124 victory.
This was a game of runs. The Cavs got out their lead by controlling the first and third quarters as they won those frames by a combined 29 points. But an inability to turn
the momentum once it started going against them in the second and fourth quarters led to their demise.
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An inability to secure defensive rebounding doomed the Cavs in the fourth quarter. New York picked up 10 second-chance points in the final frame on five offensive rebounds. It’s difficult to keep a high-powered offense like the Knicks in check. It’s even more so when they’re given that many more possessions. This is what cost them the game.
Jalen Brunson helped lead the comeback for New York. Thirteen of his 34 points came in the final quarter. Tyler Kolek added in 11 fourth-quarter points on 3-3 shooting form deep.
The poor fourth quarter spoiled what was an encouraging performance for 38 minutes. The offensive was humming for the third-straight game in a row as the Cavs went 15-34 (44.1%) from three. Darius Garland was playing like an All-Star and Evan Mobley looked good playing his first game in nearly two weeks. But it wasn’t enough.
Donovan Mitchell led the team with 34 points on 12-24 shooting with six assists. Garland added 20 points on 7-14 shooting with 10 assists. Mobley contributed 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench in 25 minutes of play.
Every time the Cavs seem to take a step forward this season, they take two more back. This game felt like a microcosm of the season so far. We’ll see if they can put together a full 48 minutes on Saturday when they travel to Texas to take on the Houston Rockets.
