1 thing the Cleveland Cavaliers must do to overcome the New York Knicks on the road

After three games against lesser opponents, the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to New York for their first challenge of the year.

The New York Knicks have assembled a fearsome starting five with three elite 3-and-D wings to complement a new-look star core of Jalen Brunson and the newly-added Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks are loading up on high-motor players who can compete on both ends of the floor. After an embarrassing game-one loss to the Boston Celtics, New York has taken two commanding victories ahead of this match with the Cavs.

As for the Cavaliers, their first three games gave them a chance to test rotations under Kenny Atkinson's system and refine some areas before playing against a rival Eastern Conference contender. Since the 2023 playoff defeat, games against New York mean just a bit more to Cleveland than many others. In plenty of aspects, both teams are in the same place in the East. They are young and hungry organizations buying into a superstar guard as their top guy.

Cleveland will be tested and pushed to their limits. The Knicks are not afraid to play physical and risk a foul call in an attempt to force a rushed shot from the opponent. The Cavs know these tricks all too well, but they are not immune. Evan Mobley will be pestered by OG Anunoby, pushing him in the post and trying to swat the ball from his hands during one of Mobley's less-than-stellar dribble moves. If Mobley's hot start is true, he will prove it in this game.

If the Cavaliers want to overcome the Knicks, they need to be at the top of their game. New York has been this squad's biggest threat since Donovan Mitchell brought the Cavs back to the postseason in 2023. To win in the Big Apple, Cleveland needs to focus on one key aspect of the game to break through the Knicks' gameplan.

Limit three-point shooting and force bad shots

The Cavaliers have one of the league's best defenses through three games, ranking fourth in defensive rating. Their best defensive talents are in their frontcourt, however, leaving the perimeter more susceptible to mistakes and slow rotations. The Knicks will know this and attack the Cavaliers' guards and wings.

Just behind the Cavs' second-place three-point percentage, the Knicks have converted from deep at the third-best rate in the Association, draining 40.4 percent of their attempts. Brunson and Josh Hart are two of the league's most confident shooters. If the Cavaliers sag off them at any point, they can be lethal sharpshooters on the arc. Brunson alone has made 57.1 percent of his attempts in three games.

Mitchell can be a savvy defender, but he is far from All-Defensive caliber. Darius Garland has improved over the years, but he is still below average and could not keep Brunson or Hart at bay by himself. For the Cavaliers to break the Knicks, coach Atkinson must enter the night with a clear defensive gameplan and intentionality in every assignment he gives.

The Cavaliers have high-end perimeter defenders at their disposal. If Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade are at their best, they both can stay on the Knicks' shooters with ease. Wade's underrated defense could be an unexpected X-Factor for the Cavaliers, using him as a wing stopper and closeout defender.

Okoro has repeatedly been a nightmare for Brunson, holding New York's star to 29 points over 20 minutes matched up with one another in the 2023-24 season and just seven points the season prior. Okoro also forced five turnovers from Brunson last year and restricted him just to four three-point attempts in the last two seasons when going head-to-head.

As for the frontcourt, Cleveland's starting bigs are in a better spot. Evan Mobley is an elite perimeter defender and will have no problem maintaining OG Anunoby. Jarrett Allen will most likely be Towns' primary defender. While Towns has the height advantage over Allen, Cleveland's center is quick, nimble and smart. Allen is more than capable of keeping KAT out of the offense.

New York has depth and size, but the Cavaliers' bench unit has been noticeably better already this season. Ty Jerome's return and Sam Merrill's presence have been useful in each of the first three games. If the Cavs can continue finding value in the second unit to give the starters time to rest, the Cleveland Cavaliers should have no problem ending the Monday match with a 4-0 record.

The Cavs will tip off in New York at 7:30pm Eastern Time. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network.