Cavaliers at Knicks
The Cleveland Cavaliers have won 15 of their last 17 games to make their way up the standings in the Eastern Conference while the New York Knicks have plummeted in the opposite direction. The Cavaliers will try to keep the momentum going at the expense of the Knicks when they visit New York on Sunday. The Knicks let go of Amar’e Stoudemire and sent Carmelo Anthony under the knife during the All-Star break, leaving the team absent of veteran presence.
Cleveland dominated the Washington Wizards in a 127-89 triumph on Friday, looking like the long All-Star layoff had no impact on the team. “We were just clicking awesome,” Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving told reporters. “We came out with a defensive mindset, got out in transition, guys were hitting shots. We got a lot of open looks that didn't even go down but guys were offensive rebounding.” Irving put up 37 points in a 90-87 win at New York on Dec. 4.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (34-22): Cleveland began a stretch of 12 of 15 on the road at Chicago before the break and made a dent in the East playoff race at Washington, when LeBron James scored 28 points and Irving added 25. I don't know if it's a statement as much as it's a step that we had to make,” Cavaliers coach David Blatt told reporters. “One of many steps that we have to take to improve our position.” Cleveland made its moves before the trade deadline it an effort to spread the floor and J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert combined to bury six 3-pointers against the Wizards.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (10-44): Smith and Shumpert both came from New York, and the Knicks continued to send veterans out with Pablo Prigioni going to the Houston Rockets on Thursday. Anthony is the only player left from the 2012-13 team and will sit out the rest of the season after opting to undergo knee surgery with a 4-to-6 month recovery timeline. Rookie Langston Galloway took over as the leading scorer when the Knicks returned from the break on Friday, scoring 19 points in a 111-87 loss to the Miami Heat.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The road team has taken the last four in the series.
2. Shumpert is 12-of-22 from 3-point range over the next five games.
3. New York PG Shane Larkin (illness) sat out Friday and is questionable for Sunday.