Cleveland Rocked! Knicks Survive Sloppy Sunday at MSG

It wasn't pretty, but the New York Knicks ended their Madison Square Garden futility against Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sunday's NBA contest between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers featured the combatants shooting a combined 38 percent from the field, uniting for 37 turnovers (including 13 traveling calls, a single-game high in any NBA game so far this season), and neither reaching triple digits in scoring. 

The Madison Square Garden scoreboard, however, carried the most beautiful statistic Knicks could've hoped for. 

Jalen Brunson eeked out a team-best 23 points while Mitchell Robinson hauled in eight rebounds (13 total) and three steals on defense. With offseason target Donovan Mitchell on hand as a member of the Cavaliers, the Knicks pulled out a 92-81 victory. With the win, New York (11-13) ended a five-game losing streak at MSG and earned their first win against an opponent with a winning record since Nov. 16 (Denver). 

With the Knicks looking to break out of a brutal stretch at home, Sunday's game had an eerie sense of deja vu: much like their Saturday showdown with the Dallas Mavericks just over 24 hours prior, New York got off to a strong start and earned a double-digit, one that reached as high as 18 in the first half. Additionally, they held opposing star attractions Mitchell and Darius Garland to 6-of-20 from the field, not unlike the way they forced Luka Dončić into a slow first quarter. 

The lead against Dallas eventually gave way to a nightmare third quarter that doomed the Knicks to a blowout defeat. Sunday's New Yorkers, however, instead used the third period as a way to seal their victory. Though the Knicks bent ... the Cavs knocking the lead down to as little as six in the final minutes ... they never broke, offsetting their own offensive struggles with both strong defensive (forcing Cleveland into 13 turnovers) and rebounding efforts. With Robinson, RJ Barrett, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Julius Randle pulling in at least eight rebounds each, New York also limited the Cavs' opportunities, outscoring them 17-5 in second-chance tallies.

Shooting 8-of-22 over 40 minutes of action, Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, with Garland getting 17 on 5-of-19. The Cavs (15-9) come back to MSG on Jan. 24. 

The Knicks will look to start a winning streak on Wednesday night when the homestand ends with a visit from the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN). 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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