Cavaliers Threaten to Complicate Knicks' Eastern Goals

The New York Knicks should keep an eye on one of their in-conference rivals.

Feb 24, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) defends Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Just two months ago, it appeared as if the New York Knicks had seized a decisive lead in their understated rivalry against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The two eastern powers, having each spent the mid-2020s as two of their conference's token contenders, didn't have a deep relationship outside of their first-round run-in during the 2023 playoffs. The Knicks may have won that duel, but New York would go on to fall in five of their next seven matchups against Cleveland over the following two seasons, including memorably going winless against the local foe across four head-to-head outings over their last campaign.

Things looked to be tilting in the Knicks' favor to start the season, especially after they came back to embarrass the Cavaliers on Christmas Day. But the Cavs, having quietly spent the Knicks' January slump by reestablishing the continuity that once defined their brand, are now rejuvenated behind James Harden, reigniting doubts that New York will manage to hold off their similarly-talented opponent for future matchups.

Feb 24, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) watches as New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) falls during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The surging Cavs clearly got the better of their inconsistent counterpart earlier this week, and even though Harden will be hampered after fracturing his right thumb in Cleveland's 109-94 win over the Knicks, the revived contenders still deserve attention following another loss to a direct challenger.

How do the Cavaliers Fit Into the Eastern Field?

Donovan Mitchell and friends are only the most recent squad to butt into the race for eastern supremacy. The Detroit Pistons may hold a definitive lead over the rest of the field, but it's not as if they have the playoff acumen or reliable offense of their peers to completely shut down doubts as to whether they'll translate to the postseason.

Feb 19, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) is guarded by New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers, much like the Boston Celtics, are attempting to build their case by uniting to put together a product that's more valuable than the sum of their parts. Big finishers in Evan Mobley and, specifically, Jarrett Allen weren't as useful without a born passer in Harden to spoon-feed them at the rim amidst Darius Garland's frequent absences, and their offense had briefly jumped back into the league's top tier before finishing off the Knicks.

They'll have to play the close of the regular season carefully, relying on backup point guard in Dennis Schroder to keep the ball zipping across the court.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have been without Jayson Tatum all season long, and continue making their own pitch as the best-coached team in the sport behind their unrelenting stream of 3-pointers, rebounding hustle and inescapable defense.

Despite the Knicks' own reawakened defense, they clearly still have a long way to go in regularly tapping into their best scoring looks. Karl-Anthony Towns shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in that defeat, revealing how much more prioritized he should be than he is within the scoring scheme. And outside of the Pistons, the Knicks have been healthier than each of the conference's other top-shelf players, placing the ball in their court while they keep running into roadblocks.

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