Knicks at Cavaliers
THE STORY: The Knicks are likely relieved they shed themselves of a six-game losing skid before traveling to Cleveland for Wednesday’s game against the Cavaliers. With or without LeBron James, the Cavaliers have made life miserable on the Knicks in recent years. Despite finishing with the second-worst record in the league last season, the Cavaliers took three of four games in this series and extended their winning streak to 11 before the Knicks finally salvaged a 16-point victory near the end of last season. There’s a chance, albeit a small one, that Baron Davis could make his debut in a New York uniform against Cleveland – the franchise that paid him $24 million to go away. The Cavaliers waived Davis under the amnesty clause before the start of the season and he just returned to practice this week as he recovers from a herniated disc. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said Davis could make his debut Wednesday, but Davis said later that wasn’t very likely. The Knicks are eager for Davis to take over at point guard, which should happen either this week or next.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG, Fox Sports Ohio
ABOUT THE KNICKS (7-10): Amar’e Stoudemire finally was reintroduced to the Knicks’ offense in their 33-point blowout win over the Bobcats on Tuesday. It came at the expense of Carmelo Anthony, who scored just one point, but Stoudemire had 18 points and eight rebounds and more importantly shot 7 of 12 from the floor. That’s his highest shooting percentage since he was 8 of 11 in the Knicks’ season-opening win against Boston.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (6-10): Cleveland committed 22 turnovers against the Miami Heat on Tuesday and has now committed at least 20 turnovers in seven of 16 games this season. Coach Byron Scott has been lamenting the exorbitantly high number of turnovers for weeks, but the numbers aren’t going down. They’re 2-5 when they commit 20 or more turnovers and they’ve lost the last five times it has happened. Rookie Kyrie Irving has the fifth-most turnovers in the league among point guards, averaging 3.6 per game.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Stoudemire averaged 30.8 points and 9.5 rebounds against the Cavaliers last season. Anthony averaged 27 points against them.
2. The Cavaliers are 0-4 on the second night of back-to-backs this season. The Knicks are 1-3.
3. Irving is averaging 19.9 points and 4.4 assists over his last nine games.