The Cavaliers (4-1) defeated the Knicks (2-3) 96-86 on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena.
After taking a 32-18 lead after the first quarter, the Knicks were unable to deal with the Cavaliers defense and caved in during the second half. LeBron James did an excellent job containing Carmelo Anthony, who finished with just 17 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field. James registered 23 points (9-23 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-7 FT), adding five rebounds, four steals and three assists in 35 minutes. The two superstars are now tied in their careers against each other, both with 12 wins.
The Knicks rolled with a 12-man rotation Wednesday and it didn't help them find much offense in a dismal third and fourth quarters. Rookie Kristaps Porzingis was New York's second-leading scorer with 13 points, which just wasn't enough secondary scoring to keep up with the Cavaliers. Langston Galloway had 12 points in 29 minutes off the bench, but the Knicks' backcourt contingent left a lot to be desired. The Cavs were a tough frontcourt matchup for Robin Lopez and company, so expect them to bounce back Friday against the Bucks.
With J.R. Smith (knee) sidelined for the second consecutive game, the Cavaliers didn't miss a beat, getting another big performance from Mo Williams. The veteran guard poured in 22 points (8-19 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. Williams has really stepped up for the Cavs with Kyrie Irving out. Cleveland really showed why they are a championship contender by suffocating the Knicks on defense, but had a very off night shooting the ball, finishing 33-for-83 from the field (39.8 percent). The Cavaliers host the Sixers on Friday after defeating them 107-100 earlier in the week.
