Cavs vs. Knicks preview and gamethread
The Cavaliers get a chance to beat one of the East’s best teams
The Cavaliers look to remain undefeated against the Knicks in the 2024-2025 season
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (45-10) vs. New York Knicks (37-18)
Where: Rocket Arena - Cleveland, Ohio
When: 7:00pm EST
TV: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network
Line: Cavaliers - 8.5
Expected Cavs starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen.
Cavs injury report: Not yet submitted
Expected Nets starting lineup: Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Mikal Bridges, Precious Achiuwa, Karl-Anthony Towns
Knicks injury report: Not yet submitted
What to watch for
It’s time to stop referring to the playoffs two years ago
No playoff series loss has been used to discredit a team more than the Cavaliers and Knicks series in the 2022-23 season. Was it bad? Of course. The Cavaliers were straight-up bullied and broken by a Knicks team that was coming into its own at the time. It built an identity for the Knicks while crushing what appeared to be an identity for the Cavaliers.
Every time a pundit, fan, or casual mentions the Cavaliers’ playoff credibility it takes mere seconds for that series to be uttered in a rebuttal. Since then, both the Knicks and Cavaliers have changed drastically, not only in terms of roster construction but also identities.
The Knicks have remodeled and retooled their previously devasting defensive unit. The past few seasons have seen an influx of Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges and pivoting towards an offensive team. It's something that you would have never thought would be uttered from a Tom Thibadeau roster. Now Thibs will Thibs, old habits die hard. The Knicks still play their starters an absurd number of minutes for regular season basketball in mid-February however, the identity of this team is clearly pivoting to outscoring their opponent more than dragging them into the muck like seasons past.
The Cavaliers similarly are drastically different than their 2022-23 counterparts. The Cavaliers have also become one of the more explosive offensives in the league. Players like Garland and Mobley taking leaps, acquiring Max Strus, Ty Jerome, and De’Andre Hunter, and changing coaches and playstyles with Kenny Atkinson at the helm. What was once a battle of the grinders has now turned into one of the more offensive-oriented struggles in the league.
As these teams continue to morph further away from their past selves, it becomes hollow to use that round one series as a bullet point in your argument against the Cavaliers. As we will see tonight, regardless of the outcome, these two teams might wear the same uniforms but the components at play are not a continuation of the past.
Grab your rocks, this could be ugly.
Despite all the offensive firepower on display tonight, this game could be ugly. Both the Cavaliers and the Knicks are entering the second night of a back-to-game. The Cavaliers played with their food against the Brooklyn Nets. Meanwhile, the Knicks had to scratch and claw their way to an overtime win against the Chicago Bulls.
With the way the Thibs coaches, you could expect that the Knicks are going to show some tired legs. The Cavaliers should seem more spry by comparison. If the Cavaliers don’t come out early and put their foot on the throat of the Knicks, expect that this game could be a rock fight. The combination of tired legs, coming off the long break, and the fact that these teams weren’t exactly putting their best foot forward offensively last night, this game could devolve into some ugly basketball.