Donovan Mitchell led the way with 27 points in 26 minutes.
The Cleveland Cavaliers offense is an unstoppable force when they truly get rolling. That happened on Friday as they ran away with a lopsided 142-105 victory over the New York Knicks.
This was a beatdown in every facet. The Cavs couldn’t miss an outside shot, they were getting whatever they wanted at the rim, and they played stifling defense. That’s a combination that’s going to be good enough for a win no matter who the opponent is.
The Cavs jumped out to a 41-29 lead after the first quarter thanks to completing 17 of their 23 attempts from the field (73.9%). This included going 10-11 in the restricted area.
Cleveland grew their lead in the second quarter with some of that same formula, but they added playing stifling defense into the mix. They held the Knicks to 21 points in the second quarter to expand their lead to 27. The Cavs never looked back from there as they grew the lead to as much as 42 in the fourth quarter.
Donovan Mitchell fueled Cleveland’s incredible start. He provided the spark that lit the entire offense. Mitchell aggressively looked for his shot, attacked the basket, and most importantly got Evan Mobley involved early and often. He contributed 27 points on 10-15 shooting in just 26 minutes.
Mobley’s transformation as an offensive force was on full display. The limitations that cost the Cavs in the 2023 playoffs were nowhere to be found as he continually made the right reads when attacking off the dribble.
Two seasons ago the Knicks dared Mobley to beat them with the ball in his hands. Tonight, they couldn’t do anything to keep him from doing that. He ended his night with 21 points on 9-11 shooting with 8 rebounds and 4 helpers.
It wasn’t all good for the Cavs. Darius Garland took a rough fall in the second quarter. He banged his head on the ground after being fouled by Karl-Anthony Towns on a drive to the rim. Garland completed the free throws and played some in the second half before not returning after the third quarter. He finished with 9 points on 2-12 shooting with 5 assists.
Jarrett Allen also left the game with a hand injury. X-rays came back negative. He provided 10 points and 3 rebounds in just under 20 minutes of play.
The Cavs received positive contributions from numerous role players. Ty Jerome added in 10 points on 7-11 shooting. Max Strus dished out a season-high 8 assists in 21 minutes. De’Andre Hunter continued his impressive start with the team as he finished with 16 points on 6-7 shooting which included going 4-4 from beyond the arc.
New York was led by Jalen Brunson and his 26 points on 10-17 shooting. Towns added in 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in the loss.
The win improves the Cavs record to 46-10. Their lead over the second-place Boston Celtics is now six games.
Cleveland will be back in action on Sunday evening when they welcome the Memphis Grizzlies to town.