Early on, the Cavs were getting out-physicaled in a rock fight for the second straight game, and that’s the only explanation.
Whatever was said at halftime worked to some degree. Garland scored 11 of his team-high 23 points in the quarter. Cleveland got off to an 18-7 start, unlocking something with Garland and Jarrett Allen in the pick-and-roll game. The third quarter contained all four lead changes in the contest.
But things were still nightmarish for Cleveland’s backcourt overall, highlighted by Donovan Mitchell’s performance: 11 points on 5-of-18 shooting, including a 1-of-9 shooting mark in the second half. He was 0-of-4 from deep and had more turnovers than assists as the Knicks trapped and harassed him for most of the afternoon, going all in on making the All-Star uncomfortable.
How Allen and Evan Mobley would hold up against the Knicks’ bigs including Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein has been a question ever since both teams clinched these seeds. But the proof was in the box score once again. And again, much like with hoping for an offensive spark from a guard or a swing, it’s not like Cleveland has an enforcer big on its roster to come in and hit back.
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