Cavaliers' Strong Motivation for Blowout Win vs. Knicks Revealed

The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in dominating fashion on Friday night vs. the New York Knicks, 142-105, jumping up two wins to none on the season against New York, while also bolstering their extensive lead for the one-seed in the Eastern Conference.

But it wasn't just any win for the Cavaliers. Following the team's playoff series loss vs. the Knicks during the 2023 postseason, anytime Cleveland gets the best of the Knicks in any sense, the victory just means more.

Before the contest vs. the Knicks, head coach Kenny Atkinson noted how the Cavaliers still remember the happenings of their playoff series loss vs. New York.

“They remember,” Atkinson said. “I know our players remember. They talk about it.”

Even while Atkinson wasn't in the fold himself, he's clearly aware of the stinging implications the results had for the Cavaliers' core, a first-round series that ended 4-1 in favor of New York.

The Cavaliers lineup looked pretty similar to today's, with each of their four-man unit of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen on the squad during their first year grouped up together.

But now, the tide has turned, following a flurry of moving parts in the process. The Cavaliers' coaching staff saw a complete overhaul with J.B. Bickerstaff being replaced by Atkinson, and the Knicks conducted several roster moves to vastly change the outlook of their rotation from two years ago.

And with those changes, Cleveland may now have the edge over their Eastern Conference rivals. The Cavaliers have now bested the Knicks for the second time this season, and if the two were to play a seven-game series today, it'd likely be tough to pick New York to be the one advancing.

The two will have a pair of meetings left to go towards the end of this season, giving Cleveland a couple more chances to make a strong statement heading into this year's postseason.

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