The Fateful Eight: Knicks Stop Losing Streak, Mitchell's Cavs With Career-Best From Randle
Once again, a Manhattan-based pursuit involving Donovan Mitchell came up short ... but the New York Knicks were perfectly fine with that.
Mitchell's would-be equalizer for the Cleveland Cavaliers fell short in the final seconds, allowing the hosting Knicks to escape from Madison Square Garden with a 105-103 victory on Tuesday night. Julius Randle put in 36 for New York (26-23), which ended a four-game losing streak and disarmed Cleveland for the second time this season.
Two-thirds of Randle's tally came from eight three-pointers, which tied his career-high previously matched on Nov. 7 in Minnesota. The last of those triples gave the Knick a permanent lead with just over two minutes remaining, as a beardown defensive effort kept the Cavaliers off the scoreboard for the next 86 seconds before Jalen Brunson free throws made it a two-possession game. A successful and-one play for Darius Garland and a New York shot clock violation on the other hand gave the Cavs a chance to bestow further heartbreak to the Knicks.
The former metropolitan target Mitchell drove to the rim on the possession that began with just over 15 seconds remaining but his tying attempt was denied by Isaiah Hartenstein. Mitchell got his own rebound on the ground and was able to find Evan Mobley for an off-balance attempt of desperation but it fell short and allowed the Garden volume to be raised. Mitchell required some attention from the Cleveland medical staff to get up but he believed he sustained only cramps from the interior encounter.
Tuesday's victory was also the Knicks' first since it was announced that starting center Mitchell Robinson would miss at least three weeks with a fractured thumb. Hartenstein's name has appeared in trade conversations as the Feb. 9 transactional deadline approaches. Though he lost minutes (and the temporary, Robinson-vacated starting role) to Jericho Sims, Hartenstein came up big on Tuesday to the tune of nine rebounds (his best tally since Dec. 16) and partaking in a reserve scoring effort that outscored Cleveland's unit 27-12.
Obi Toppin once again impressed in an abbreviated effort in that category, scoring 11 points in 10 minutes. The third-year man now has consecutive double-figure showings for the first time since early November. Draft classmate Immanuel Quickley also had a well-rounded showcase after missing Sunday's loss in Toronto with nine points, six assists, and five rebounds.
The Knicks and Cavs (29-20) have one more scheduled date on Mar. 31 in Cleveland. In the meantime, New York faces a dangerous, nationally-televised challenge from the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT). Knicks fans certainly hope that deja vu strikes: their previous win over the Cavs in early December not only similarly stifled a losing streak but was the first of eight consecutive victories, one of the longest uninterrupted stretches of success in the NBA this season.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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