The New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-103. Julius Randle and New York’s defense led the way to victory.
Make sure to catch the whole Knicks Fan TV Postgame show on all major podcast platforms below:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Stitcher
The Knicks pulled off a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, stopping Cleveland with seconds left on the clock to win 105 to 103. Both teams came out the gate blazing, though New York’s three-point shooting gave them a slight edge. But it became a game of runs after the defenses settled in and shooters cooled. The deciding play was a drive from Donovan Mitchell, blocked by Isaiah Hartenstein to preserve a two-point lead at the buzzer.
The Knicks’ got two significant boosts to help claim victory. First, Julius Randle played brilliantly and outperformed everyone else, including Donovan Mitchell. Second, New York’s bench made substantial contributions throughout the night. It was a hard-fought, much-needed victory, so let’s relive some of the fun and see how they played.
The Knicks starters get a star performance from Randle
Jalen Brunson: 14 PTS (5/13 FG, 1/3 3PT, 3/4 FT), 4 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 36 mins
Jalen Brunson struggled with the size of the Cavs. He shot the ball poorly and often had trouble getting to his usual spots on the floor. But Brunson managed to score timely baskets throughout the night. He made a big shot as the Cavs took momentum in the third and hit a nice jumper in the fourth. The undersized point guard also drew attention, so a few misses led to putback opportunities for New York’s bigs.
While he didn’t have his best performance, Brunson managed to contribute in many ways. His defense included a nice steal and a couple of turnovers forced by drawing offensive fouls. He also moved the ball well, even if 4 assists downplay his impact as a passer.
Brunson never got going, as we’ve seen in many other games. Nevertheless, he created positive plays even when his shot wasn’t falling. As a result, Brunson picks up a 2 out of 5 for the underwhelming but solid night.
Quentin Grimes: 10 PTS (4/9 FG, 2/7 3PT), 3 AST, 1 REB, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 36 mins
Quentin Grimes struggled a bit in this one. His jumper never got going, but he made up for it with some forays into the paint. He had a couple of smooth finishes, including a dunk. But the young prospect also had two turnovers, which doesn’t include a couple of fumbled passes. This is a rare occasion where I felt his mind was working too fast for his actions to keep up with.
Grimes battled with Donovan Mitchell on the defensive side. It was an entertaining clash to watch, as Grimes made Mitchell work but couldn’t always stop the talented star. Mitchell made some tough shots while New York’s top defender gave chase every step of the way.
This is a comparable situation to Brunson’s game against Cleveland. Grimes didn’t have his best game, but he still contributed in several positive ways. The sophomore always found spots to impact the team for the better. So Grimes gets a 2.5 out of 5 for solid production and a critical defensive contribution.
RJ Barrett: 16 PTS (5/12 FG, 3/5 3PT, 3/4 FT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 33 mins
RJ Barrett started this game off hot. He knocked down threes to get going and began to attack. But Barrett cooled off after the first quarter. He struggled when Cleveland sent lengthy bigs to guard him. Prominent defenders, like Evan Mobley, took away his ability to drive comfortably. But Barrett didn’t force much action and finished with a relatively efficient 16 points on 12 field goal attempts.
Barrett’s defense was up and down but included some impressive moments. He often matched up with Darius Garland, a challenging task against a faster, crafty scorer. But RJ’s best moments came when he anticipated Garland’s movement and beat him to spaces on the floor. Barrett’s had a tough year on defense, so seeing those flashes of quality defense is encouraging.
Barrett played solid ball, inconsistent, but with flashes of all his skills. He had some nice drive and kick passes early but had tunnel vision in the third. He stopped Garland on key possessions but also gave up a few easy looks. Nevertheless, the rising prospect showed a bit of everything en route to a 2.5 out of 5 for the solid performance.
Julius Randle: 36 PTS (11/21 FG, 8/12 3PT, 6/7 FT), 4 AST, 13 REB, 5 TO in 38 mins
Julius Randle made another chase for the single-quarter record for three-pointers on the Knicks. He hit 5 in the first quarter and scattered three more through the rest of the action. His shooting highlighted a strong night, but my favorite plays were his second-chance buckets. Randle pulled down challenging offensive boards and finished through a sea of giant Cavalier defenders twice in the second half.
Randle’s turnovers are noteworthy but not as problematic as I’d typically treat them. The rest of the starters struggled at times, and Randle had to force the issue to help. He also picked up a few turnovers from passes that were good ideas and sloppy execution. However, the turnovers weren’t enough to drag down his great night.
The rest is pretty typical for Randle. He threw a few nice passes, especially when he anticipated help defense coming over. He grabbed double-digit rebounds despite Cleveland’s giants battling with him. His excellent scoring propels the performance to a 4 out of 5, as he led New York to this win.
Jericho Sims: 2 PTS (1/1 FG), 4 REB, 2 TO in 25 mins
Jericho Sims didn’t get a lot of utilization for a guy who played 25 minutes. He set plenty of solid screens, so I’m disappointed his teammates didn’t reward his rim running more. That might be the result of Cleveland’s size, though, because Jarrett Allen is an excellent rim protector. Regardless, Sims played better than his numbers would indicate.
Sims has big shoes to fill as the starting center. But this was his best performance on defense since Mitchell Robinson’s injury. While you won’t see steals or blocks on the stat sheet, Sims managed space better in drop coverage. That allowed him to challenge shots at the rim and at least make Allen work for scores on the interior.
Sims will still need to produce more to justify starting. He was okay everywhere but not great anywhere. His best highlight was knocking Mobley into the seats while chasing a loose ball. The young big has tons of potential, and I hope these starts help him realize some of it. Sims gets a 2 out of 5 for a quiet but solid performance.
A big night for New York’s second unit
Miles McBride: 3 PTS (1/2 FG, 0/1 3PT, 1/3 FT), 3 AST, 1 REB in 12 mins
Miles McBride started the game fast. He took Ricky Rubio to the basket for an and-one along the baseline. Then McBride crossed Rubio up and whipped a beautiful baseball pass to Obi Toppin for three. Deuce was assertive with his dribble, leading to multiple fouls drawn and assists.
But McBride stayed in a limited minutes role. This game felt like a chance for him to break out of his shell since McBride showed point guard skills that can help the bench unit improve. So color me disappointed in the quick hooks. We need to see that consistently and with enough minutes to warrant an impact score.
Immanuel Quickley: 9 PTS (4/8 FG, 1/2 3PT, 0/1 FT), 6 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL in 27 mins
Immanuel Quickley played a brilliant game of basketball. He finished some impressive attempts in the paint, maneuvering around Cleveland’s shot blockers to get his floaters off. IQ scored well early but made the most of his playmaking more than his shooting. Quickley threw some beautiful dimes, like a no-look kick out to an open baseline shooter.
I’ll toss IQ’s performance next to Grimes’ as fun to watch. Quickley picked up the challenging assignments whenever Grimes was on the bench, and the two paired up for critical minutes protecting the lead in the fourth. To complete the performance, Quick’s 5 rebounds were the third-most on the team.
Quickley has solidified his role as an essential player for this team. His return to the bench is slowly bringing that unit back to life. When the other reserves can’t score, IQ carries the load. But on a night like this, with a few hot hands, Quickley can shift to effective playmaking. As a result, the sixth man earns a 3 out of 5 for contributions in every vital area of the game.
Obi Toppin: 11 PTS (4/6 FG, 2/3 3PT, 1/2 FT), 3 REB in 10 mins
Obi Toppin scored 11 points despite only playing 10 minutes. He shot the ball well from deep, but I was more excited about his forays inside. Obi took defenders off the dribble, finished at the rim once, missed a floater, and then drew a foul on another occasion. Those drives added a dimension to Toppin’s game that we haven’t seen since his fractured knee.
There’s not much else to say after just 10 minutes of action. Randle was too good to sit for long, and the Cavs were too big to go small. So, Toppin was a victim of circumstance, but he’s getting his legs back, and it shows.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 4 PTS (2/3 FG), 4 AST, 9 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 23 mins
Leave it to Isaiah Hartenstein to have his greatest Knick performance with just 4 points to show for it. The big man had an emphatic putback, but most of his highlights came from doing everything else. Hart finally showed us his playmaking bag. My favorite assist came when Hart whipped a bounce pass to a cutting Miles McBride from the top of the key. Even one of his turnovers came from attempting an outlet pass the length of the floor that almost worked.
But the real story for Hart is his fourth-quarter defense. I’ve criticized the big man’s work in drop coverage all year, but he hit his mark in this game. Hartenstein dropped deep but stepped up to slashers, and that extra step helped him challenge shooters inside. That’s how Hart managed the game-deciding block and earned a 3 out of 5 for his impact.
The coach gets his statement win
Tom Thibodeau managed this game well. He still leaned heavily on a few starters, but I can’t blame him for relying on Randle’s 36-point performance. Brunson may have struggled, but getting the leader on the floor kept everyone poised in crucial moments.
Thibs is also mixing and matching the starters and reserves more frequently. For example, RJ Barrett often paired with the second unit, but Grimes and Brunson played with them as well. I’d like to see that plan reversed, with players like Obi and McBride getting looks with more starters around them.
The game was well-managed, and the Knicks (no Mitchell Robinson) pulled off a win over a healthy Cleveland opponent. That’s a big win, so Thibodeau gets a 4 out of 5 on the night.
Closing Thoughts
I don’t know about you, Knicks fam, but I needed that one. The Knicks’ streaky nature led to some discouraging stretches, and the Robinson injury sapped some of my optimism. That made this big win about as reassuring as it gets. The team can still lock in on defense and challenge good opponents without their anchor.
The caveat is that Cleveland is poor on the road. The upcoming schedule looks like a murderers’ row, so I doubt we will see a sustained winning streak. But that grueling schedule is an opportunity to make some statement wins and create enthusiasm. This is New York’s chance to prove that the Knicks can hang with elite opponents.
The Boston Celtics are up, and they’ll show up hungry after losing two in a row. The TD Garden is always a tough place to play, but the Knicks have a chance to apply pressure to a team coming off losses. So let’s see if New York can hang some adversity on the best team in the league and meet back here to discuss. I’ll see you then, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out Knicks Weekly, where CP and Alex discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly from the week that was, plus trade rumors!
