James Harden catches fire late as Cleveland ends New York’s four-game winning streak in a hard-fought battle at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks losing streak came to an end on Wednesday night as they fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-107 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks fought back from being down multiple times, tying up the game in the final moments of the 4th quarter, however Cleveland would answer.
The Cavaliers were led by James Harden who scored a season high 32 points. Donovan Mitchell also chipped in with 23 points. Jalen Brunson led the way for New York with 27 points. Karl-Anthony Towns had another outstanding game scoring 21 points whilst grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists.
How the Game Went Down
Cleveland started the game on an aggressive note, scoring 33 points in the first quarter to take a 33-23 lead. However, the Knicks fought back in the second quarter. Harden hit 13 points to help the Cavaliers take a slender 59-53 lead into the half.
Despite the deficit, New York did not capitulate. The Knicks fought back throughout the second half, however Cleveland were able to claw back their lead thanks to a late 14-4 run. OG Anunoby tied the game up at 99-99 however Harden hit one clutch three pointer to give Cleveland the advantage.
Cleveland controlled the game down the wire. Jarrett Allen was instrumental around the paint to help the Cavaliers clinch an 115-107 win.
The Standout Performances
Jalen Brunson led the way with 27 points on 3 rebounds and 5 assists.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points on 11 rebounds and 8 assists, tying for a Knicks franchise record for opening the season with a streak of 11 straight double-doubles.
Miles McBride provided a spark off the bench with 19 points, including 5 three-pointers.
OG Anunoby added 14 points and 6 rebounds.
But Harden was the key for Cleveland with 32 points. Mitchell chipped in with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists whilst Allen had an impact with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
Final Thoughts: A Tough Loss, But Plenty to Build On
While New York doesn’t want to lose at home, especially coming off a 4-game winning streak, they showed a lot of grit and fought back from being down double-digits to tie it up late.
Most importantly, the Knicks can’t get down too early to teams like Cleveland who can score. Towns played extremely well again to continue his sensational start to the season, Brunson had another great outing and McBride was an important spark off the bench.
The winning streak may be over, but the season is far from finished. They get a chance to bounce back on Friday.
Up Next: New York travel to Indiana to face the Pacers on Friday (13th November).
