5 Winners and 3 Losers From Knicks' Game vs. Cavaliers

Coming off three straight wins, two of which came against significantly lesser teams, the New York Knicks walked into Cleveland and came away with an emphatic win against a Cavaliers team that very much looked like a team that had played just 24 hours earlier.

The Knicks’ offense stumbled out of the gate on Saturday. But Karl-Anthony Towns’ dominant first quarter and Jalen Brunson’s hot second quarter helped them take a 10-point lead into halftime. New York never looked back and secured their fourth straight win, going over .500 for the first time this season.

In one of their more impressive wins of this season, there were plenty of winners and a few losers. Who were they?

Winner: Karl-Anthony Towns

While Brunson’s latest play has reignited the debate over which Knick has had the most impressive season, the honor should still belong to Towns.

He’s been as efficient as he’s ever been; he’s dominating the boards, and he’s been good defensively as well. Yet sometimes, Knicks fans take him for granted. On Saturday night, he had his highest-scoring first quarter and reminded people just how good he is. Towns scored 18 points on 12 shots by halftime and finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and just as impressively, zero turnovers. The best part about Towns’ dominance? It came despite picking up a really quick foul just seconds into the game. The big man didn’t pick up his second foul until the 8:54 mark in the third quarter.

Winner: Jalen Brunson

As impressive as Towns’ first half was, Brunson’s was equally impressive. Despite coming out ice cold in the first quarter, the captain found his rhythm in the second period. After an extended rest, Brunson went on a mini run of his own, scoring 18 of his 20 first-half points and 18 of the team’s 20 points in a five-minute span. Brunson finished the night with 31 points, six rebounds, and nine assists to round out an impressive game.

Winner: Mikal Bridges

This one may be a bit controversial because Bridges went 4-of-13 from the field. But this was one of Bridges’ most active games this season. His 13 field goal attempts were the most in a game he attempted this season. Bridges accompanied that with six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. The only thing worse than being inefficient is being hesitant, which Bridges had been. It was a step in the right direction, and overall, it was a game where he impacted winning.

Winner: Mohamed Diawara

Diawara’s two points on four shots don't look that amazing. But he chipped in three rebounds and two assists, and finished the night with team-high +16. Josh Hart’s continued absence can’t be accounted for, but Diawara getting his name called in both halves and doing so just days after playing 21 minutes against the Bulls is a good sign for Diawara believers.

Winner: Andre Drummond

Calling a player who plays double-digit minutes and ends the game with zero points a winner sounds odd. But Drummond was a +10 thanks to solid defense and rebounding. But maybe the biggest development in Drummond’s performance was eliminating unnecessary shots.

In the last few seasons, Mitchell Robinson had become extremely adept at either going up for a dunk or kicking it back out. Early this season, Drummond took more floaters and off-balance layups than many have wanted. Against the Cavaliers on Saturday night, he succeeded in keeping it simple and had one shot that came late in the shot clock. Sometimes, less is more.

Loser: Jose Alvarado

Things have simply gotten worse and worse for Alvarado. After getting off to a subpar start this season, his role had started to slip from his grip when his ankle injury opened a lane for Kolek and his improved play to win over some of his minutes. On Saturday night, Alvarado’s situation hit a new low. The veteran point guard spent the entire night on the bench while Kolek played 14 minutes and looked solid.

Loser: Miles McBride

McBride’s rollercoaster season continues. Despite playing significant minutes last season, McBride has seen his minutes diminished along with his role this season. And it continued on Saturday night. The reserve guard played just 16 minutes, even though he was a +14 when on the court.

Loser: Dalton Knecht

If Thursday night’s game against the Bulls was a glimpse of Knecht at his best, Saturday night’s game against the Cavaliers was a glimpse of him at his worst. The third-year forward failed to record a single positive stat, with his only stat being two fouls, one on a Donovan Mitchell made three-pointer.

Mike Brown couldn’t have been pleased, as he didn’t play a single second in the second half. Knecht entered the night with a chance to build on his solid Knicks debut with Hart out, but failed to do so.

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