Knicks at Cavaliers
The New York Knicks return to the scene of their most lopsided road win of the season looking for a repeat performance when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. The Knicks knocked off the Cavaliers in Cleveland 106-86 on Jan. 20 while holding the hosts to 34 percent shooting and blocking nine shots.
New York displayed some of the same defensive prowess in the opener of its two-game road trip Saturday in Indiana, where Marcus Morris Sr. scored 28 points and Julius Randle added 16 and a season-high 18 rebounds in a surprising 92-85 win over the Pacers. "We stayed together throughout the entire game," Morris told reporters. "We defended really well and beat a good team. We stuck to the game plan. I think we all played well. It's just a good win for us. From start to finish we played really well." The recent 20-point loss to the Knicks is part of the Cavaliers' current 1-10 slide, which reached a new low with a 131-112 home loss to the NBA-worst Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Collin Sexton scored 23 points in the loss as Cleveland dropped its 10th in a row at home.
TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: MSG, FS Ohio
ABOUT THE KNICKS (14-36): Randle's effort helped New York gain a 57-34 advantage on the boards against Indiana, which was held to 11 points in the first quarter and 14 in the fourth. Taj Gibson chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds in only 16 minutes and Dennis Smith Jr. handed out six assists in his first start at point guard since Dec. 2. "I thought we did a good job starting out and setting the tone," interim coach Mike Miller told the media. "We did a good job on their shooters. Great effort. We had contributions from so many different people."
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (13-37): The Warriors utilized a 44-19 advantage in the third quarter in Saturday's rout, continuing a troubling theme for Cleveland. "The third quarter, I don't know if I was asked before or was it last game, but it's just killing us right now," coach John Beilein told reporters. "We're coming out of the locker room, it's not like there are big time adjustments made either way, I've never been a big-time adjustment guy in the locker rooms over the years. It seems if we get hit in the face right away and it escalates immediately." Opponents are averaging 123.7 points against the Cavaliers during their current three-game losing streak.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Knicks PG Elfrid Payton will return Monday from a one-game suspension.
2. Cavaliers PF Larry Nance Jr. scored in double figures in each of his last seven games despite playing 28 minutes or fewer in all of them.
3. New York won two of the first three meetings, each of which has been decided by at least 18 points.