Well, it’s official. The New York Knicks are now 0-3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers after losing in a blowout on Thursday, 124-105. Actually, the Knicks held a huge lead in the first half. They even led by as much as 15, but blew it all after the Cavaliers made 71 points in the final two quarters. To be fair, they were playing shorthanded against one of the most elite teams in the league right now.
Without Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns took charge against a 60-win Cleveland. They made a fantastic early impression, but Anunoby went quiet in the final 24 minutes of play, resulting in the team’s lackluster offense. This loss spoiled KAT’s return, who just gave a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double. Anunoby recorded 19 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds while Josh Hart chipped in with 19.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, had a pretty well-rounded team effort win. Six players finished with double digits, showcasing their offensive firepower that has been on a slump in the last couple of weeks.
Donovan Mitchell led the team with 27 points, 5 dimes, and 6 boards while Jarrett Allen also went for 21 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley, and Isaac Okoro had 17, 16, 13, and 11 points, respectively.
0-8 Against NBA’s Top 3 Teams
As the movie goes, “All Quiet on the Eastern Front”. Or was it Western? Anyway, the Knicks’ woes against the better teams of the NBA continues.
After being destroyed by the Cavaliers, they’re officially winless against the current top three teams in the association. They’ve managed to create a record this season of being 0-8 against Cleveland, OKC, and Boston.
The Knicks (48-28) are 0-3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder (64-12), 0-3 the Cleveland Cavaliers (61-15), 0-3 against the Boston Celtics (56-20). To no one’s surprise, all of those crumbling defeats were a blowout. Not a single one of those were a close matchup. Even with Jalen Brunson on the floor.
But, why is this important?
Well, it goes to show that the power of friendship wouldn’t work against the most elite. As the third seed, if the Knicks wanted to even get out of the first round, they’d have to beat Giannis and the Bucks first. Then if they do survive. They’ll go up against the winner between the 1st and 8th seed, which is most likely the Cavaliers. The question now is – can they survive a gruelling 7-game series against this squad in the semifinals? Especially that Brunson’s health is still questionable.
If a miracle happens and they get to the Eastern Conference Finals and meet the 2024 chams, the Boston Celtics, considering they’ve already suffered too much at this point, can they still go the distance?
Unfortunately, the Knicks’ road to the championship is tough, most especially with a healthy Cavaliers and Celtics on the horizon.
