Cavaliers show maturity and poise in nail-biting win over rival Knicks

A stunned Madison Square Garden crowd watched as the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a 13-point deficit to best the rival New York Knicks on the road.

The Cavs and Knicks have built a tense rivalry over the past few seasons after the Cavaliers swooped into the Donovan Mitchell trade sweepstakes and stole the superstar out from New York's nose in the eleventh hour. The Cavaliers and Knicks soon met in the 2023 playoffs in which the Knicks' physical and hungry team ousted the Cavs in five games.

With the star New York wanted in Cleveland both teams battling for the same spot in the Eastern Conference, every meeting holds extra weight. From the moment the ball is tipped, the playoff-like atmosphere fills MSG until the final buzzer. Entering the night, the Cavaliers were 3-0 after defeating three lesser opponents, making this match against New York their first true test of the season.

As for the Knicks, they needed to course correct after starting their year with an embarrassing blowout loss to the Boston Celtics. The new-look Knicks added two of the Association's premier trade targets this summer, completing a historic trade with the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges and a late move for Karl-Anthony Towns. New York's new core is still finding their balance, giving the Cavs an advantage with Cleveland's continuity.

Maturity saved the Cavaliers in New York

The Cavs' young core has fell short numerous times due to immaturity and a lack of preparedness. Both Darius Garland and Evan Mobley have endured strenuous growing pains after Mitchell's presence brought them from a fringe Play-In team to a prominent playoff competitor. Against veteran teams with great coaching, Cleveland often looked overwhelmed and rarely found an answer.

Of any Eastern team, the Knicks embody every flaw that hovers over the Cavs. Head coach Tom Thibodeau is a strategic mastermind, and New York's supporting cast never hesitates to make the extra effort. In the first half, Knicks wing Josh Hart collected 10 rebounds and harassed Cleveland on every possession. Hart's defense on the Cavs' backcourt often causes problems, as the veteran wing never shies away from risking a foul call to keep his opponent away from the basket.

Throughout the first two quarters, both teams battled back and forth for any kind of substantial momentum. The Cavaliers held the lead for the first quarter and most of the second, but New York surged ahead to hold a seven-point advantage at the break. In the third quarter, the Knicks built a game-high 13-point lead as the Cavs went cold from deep and were slow on defense.

Once the Cavaliers found an opening, though, they never let the Knicks regain that lead. By the end of the third, Cleveland clawed back by nine points. Within one minute of the fourth quarter, the Cavs tied the game and eventually took the lead with a 25-8 run since the Knicks' 13-point lead was established.

Cleveland's All-Star point guard led the charge, calling for on-ball screens and maneuvering to his spots for countless mid-range floaters from the elbow. Garland also sank shots from deep off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot attempts. DG led the game with 34 points while shooting five-for-eight from deep and dishing out three assists. Garland also showed athleticism on defense, adding two steals and two clutch blocks to his stat sheet.

Garland's spirited performance adds to an impressive start to his season as he looks to bounce back from an injury-riddled season last year.

Atkinson's Hardwood Chess match

The Cavaliers' players were not the only ones responsible for the win, though. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson was challenged all night as Thibodeau adjusted his lineups whenever Atkinson exposed a flaw. Early on, both Jarrett Allen and Mobley attacked Towns time after time in the post, making the most of KAT's defensive downfalls.

After Allen swiftly spun past Towns, Thibodeau wasted no time to put Jericho Sims into the game. Ariel Hukporti also saw plenty of action, helping the Knicks keep their physical identity on the boards and force the Cavs' frontcourt into tougher situations.

Atkinson did not idly watch as New York countered his rotations. Each substitution was tactically made to counter Thibodeau's counter, especially whenever Towns entered the game. Atkinson showed his offensive intelligence, poise and leadership en route to an outstanding 4-0 finish.

Defensively, the Cavaliers allowed the Knicks far too many offensive rebounds in the first half. New York created 11 extra possessions on the boards in the first two quarters, but Atkinson altered his gameplan and got the Cavs to crash the boards much more heavily in the latter periods. Atkinson reportedly lit a fire under the Cavaliers during halftime with a video showing three consecutive offensive boards Cleveland allowed the Knicks to grab.

Through quarters three and four, Cleveland only allowed two offensive boards, winning the rebounding battle 21-15 in that time.

Atkinson's timely decision making and adjustments gave the Cavaliers the ultimate advantage needed to outlast a rival organization. Additionally, he managed to manage the workload across the roster throughout the night. The starters and bench split minutes well, keeping the core fresh and prepared for the final stretch.

In what could have been an anxiety-inducing loss, the Cleveland Cavaliers were poised and prepared across the board. From the coaching staff to the players, every move and decision was made with intentionality to beat the Knicks in front of their home crowd.

The Cavaliers will return to action Wednesday, October 30 to host the Los Angeles Lakers in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.