The Cavs returned home on Sunday night riding a four-game winning streak as they faced the New York Knicks.
Against New York, Cleveland led 62-59 at the break, but the Knicks outscored the Cavs by 12 in the third to take a nine-point lead into the fourth.
However, in the fourth, Cleveland went on a 19-8 run to take the lead for good as they would defeat the Knicks 121-108 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to get their fifth straight win.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over New York:
Great:
Donovan Mitchell had 38 points(8/13 3-PT FG) and a career-high 12 assists. He was supposed to be a Knick, and it seemed he had a little extra for them on Sunday night.
First Quarter Mitchell: He had 15 of his 38 points and five of his 12 assists in the first quarter. All 15 of Mitchell’s points came on five threes. In fact, he scored and assisted on 28 of the team’s 35 first-quarter points.
Kevin Love had 16 of his season-high 29 points in the fourth quarter. He made five of his eight threes in the final stanza. The eight threes ties a career-high. Love will have moments like this, as is 29 points came in only 22 minutes off the bench. He’s a weapon!!
Dean Wade: I’ve been calling for him to start all season long, especially after Garland went down, and he rewarded me with a career-high 22 points, including a career-high tying six threes.
Three-Point Shooting: Cavs made 23 threes on 50 attempts. That’s 46%, and that’s big time. It’s hard to beat a team when they shoot it that well from deep.
Fourth Quarter: Cleveland trailed 93-84 heading into the fourth, and they took over from there. They outscored the Knicks 37-15 in the final quarter. They shot 60% from the floor, made eight threes, and held the Knicks to 35% shooting from the field. Mitchell and Love made seven of those eight threes. The two scored 28 of the team’s 37 fourth-quarter points.
Not So Great:
Caris LeVert: After scoring 41 points on Friday against Boston, LeVert was off Sunday night. He was 0/9 from the floor and finished with one point and eight assists.
Third Quarter: After leading 62-59 at halftime, the Cavs fell apart in the third. They shot 29% from the field. Conversely, the Knicks got hot and shot 65% from the floor. They outscored the Cavs 34-22 in the quarter.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs get another good win Sunday night, especially considering their big, emotional win over the Celtics Friday night. Mitchell had the Knicks and the whole city of New York wishing they would have departed with the assets to bring him back home. However, it didn’t happen, and the Cavs swooped in and got their man, and he’s been as advertised after six games.
What’s Next:
The Cavs battle the Celtics at home on Wednesday night in a rematch of Friday’s thrilling game.
Best of the Rest:
Evan Mobley had 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists for the Cavs.
For the Knicks, Evan Fournier and Jalen Brunson led the way with 16 points apiece; Julius Randle had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
According to the NBA, Mitchell and Love are only the second pair of teammates in NBA history to each make 8-plus threes in the same game.
Junkyard Dog:
Dean Wade received the “Junkyard Dog” award for his performance on Sunday night.
