NEW YORK – Kenny Atkinson had one thought when he realized the Knicks had acquired middle Karl-Anthony Cities earlier this month in a commerce with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Once I noticed that, I stated they’re championship contenders,” the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach stated previous to his staff’s sport towards the Knicks Monday night time at Madison Sq. Backyard.
However on this night time, the Cavaliers bought the higher of the Knicks.
Tom Thibodeau’s staff blew a 13-point lead and the Cavaliers finally escaped with a 110-104 victory to enhance to 4-0 on the season.
The Knicks fell to 1-2.
“Simply missed some photographs,” Thibodeau stated. “Gave up some simple ones in transition. That damage us.”
Jalen Brunson completed with 21 factors on 8-of-24 capturing (0-of-4 from the perimeter) with the Cavs doing a strong job of limiting him offensively.
“Clearly they’ve bought the 2 large guys down low,” Brunson stated. “However I really feel like I missed numerous photographs I usually make. It’s part of the sport. Generally it goes in, generally it doesn’t. Subsequent time it’ll go in for me.”
The Cavs took the lead early within the fourth quarter when Georges Niang drained a 3 from the left nook to place Cleveland up one, then Donovan Mitchell drained a 3 from the left wing to push the result in 4 with 10 minutes to go within the fourth.
The Knicks tied it at 84 when Josh Hart bought a steal after which fed Deuce McBride on the break for a bucket with 8:31 remaining.
It was shut till the top, however the Cavaliers bought the photographs they wanted within the closing minutest to flee the Backyard with a victory.
Prompt takeaways
Not sufficient three-point makes an attempt
The Knicks need to shoot threes.
A number of them.
However Monday night time? The Knicks took simply 28, making 9 of them (32.1 p.c).
“We’ve to generate extra,” Thibodeau stated. “Generally it’s a byproduct of deep-paint choices, what’s the learn. Clearly you need as many layups as you will get. If there’s two on you, unfold it out. After which everybody has to – you’ll be able to’t simply stare on the ball, you need to stare on the complete court docket so you recognize when you’ve bought to learn the person in entrance of you, what’s he doing so we don’t get guys.”
The Knicks shot 27 towards the Pacers Friday night time and 30 towards the Celtics within the opener.
They need to (and have to) take extra.
“I’ve bought to look at tape,” Cities stated. “That’s actually a easy reply. I simply bought to look at tape to see how we are able to get extra threes up. Clearly Boston has one thing in place that they confirmed that the might get 61 threes up so there could also be one thing there to study from.”
Darius Garland comes up large for the Cavaliers
The Vanderbilt product completed with 34 factors on 12-of-19 capturing (5-of-8 from deep) to guide the Cavaliers.
“He bought happening us,” Thibodeau stated. “Guys like that, felt like he bought an excessive amount of house. I’m going to have a look at the movie to see what we are able to do higher.”
Garland made an enormous defensive play with simply greater than a minute left, getting a chase-down block on Jalen Brunson with the Cavaliers clinging to a five-point lead.
He then drained two foul photographs with 34.7 seconds to place Cleveland up by seven to basically safe the win.
Karl-Anthony Cities had a quiet night time
Cities completed with 13 factors on 4-of-8 capturing to go together with 10 rebounds and three assists.
The Knicks are nonetheless looking for simpler methods to get him going offensively.
“A few of it, I would like the sport to inform him what to do,” Thibodeau stated. “A few of it’s when you’re getting double teamed within the put up, after which there’s other ways he’s bought to get in there as effectively. We’ve bought to look that out. Whether or not it’s transition post-ups or off of what’s happening within the sport with slicing and motion.”
Robust sport from Mikal Bridges
Bridges struggled within the first half of the opener towards the Boston Celtics, however he’s regarded significantly better because the second half of that sport and the final two – he scored 21 factors towards the Pacers Friday night time.
In opposition to the Cavaliers Monday night time, Bridges completed with 19 factors on 9-of-15 capturing (1-of-4 from the perimeter) with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block.
Bridges had a fast-break dunk within the second quarter that gave the Knicks a nine-point lead, then within the third quarter drained a 3 from the fitting nook – on a pleasant feed from Karl-Anthony Cities, who handed out of the low put up as a number of defenders collapsed on him – to place the Knicks up 12.
Later that very same interval he hit a brief jumper from the lane whereas falling to the court docket, giving the Knicks a nine-point lead.
Josh Hart leaves sport late
Not a simple sport for Hart, who at one level within the second half took a tough foul from Niang as he went up for a basket – Hart hit the bottom onerous. The officers reviewed it to see if it was a flagrant foul, however finally stored it as a typical foul.
Then about halfway by way of the fourth quarter, Hart was going for a unfastened ball close to midcourt when his proper knee collided with the knee of Caris LeVert. Hart once more fell to the court docket holding his knee, and finally bought again as much as his ft.
It was a loose-ball foul on LeVert, and Hart made each foul photographs to chop the Knicks’ deficit to 2.
He stayed within the sport till a timeout, then went again to the locker room and by no means returned to the bench.
Hart completed with the sport with 16 factors and 13 rebounds – however he additionally dedicated 5 turnovers.
Thibodeau instantly after the sport did not have a lot of an replace on Hart’s standing.
The Knicks’ subsequent sport is Wednesday night time at Miami.