NEW YORK, NY — Opening night at Madison Square Garden did not disappoint, as the New York Knicks secured a 119-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,812, which also featured some of NYC’s biggest names on celebrity row.
Coming into Wednesday night’s game, there were plenty of questions surrounding the lineup, as both Josh Hart (lumbar spasms) and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) were listed as out against the Cavs. OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns were both game-time decisions. Last season, the Knicks went 0-4 against Cleveland, losing every matchup. But under new head coach Mike Brown’s fast-paced offense and 11-man rotation, New York flipped the script—stopping the Cavs and Donovan Mitchell, who dropped a game-high 31 points—in what could be an early postseason preview.
Anunoby led the way for the Knicks with 24 points and tied his career high with 14 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Team captain Jalen Brunson struggled from the field, going 1-for-9 from three and 5-for-18 from the field, but he converted 12 of 13 from the free-throw line, finishing with 23 points, five assists and four rebounds. His lone three-pointer came off a catch-and-shoot attempt—an area both Brunson and Brown have emphasized improving this season, as Brunson looks to operate off the ball more than in years past.
After the game, Brunson was asked how comfortable he feels in catch-and-shoot situations. “I’m very comfortable shooting the ball, regardless of how I shoot it,” he said. “I wasn’t comfortable tonight—5-for-18—but I have a comfort level that I’m very confident with.”
The Knicks held the lead for most of the game, finishing the first quarter with a double-digit advantage and leading by as many as 17. They closed the first half on a 21-7 run, but in the third quarter—with no Brunson on the floor—the offense struggled to find rhythm or cohesiveness. Cleveland briefly took the lead in the third and fourth quarters, winning the third 37-22, the highest-scoring quarter of the night for either team.
In past seasons under the team’s former coach, Tom Thibodeau, a timeout and quick Brunson substitution might have been the answer—but not for Brown, who stuck with his reserves. The decision paid off.
Brown’s 11-man rotation saw four of his five reserves play double-digit minutes, a shift from the heavy starter minutes typical under Thibodeau. Miles McBride led the reserves with 15 points, going 4-for-6 from three-point range, adding timely deflections and a steal.
McBride earned Brown’s trust, playing 26 minutes and finishing the game on the floor alongside the starters—something New York might see more of this season if he can solidify himself as the team’s sixth man and primary perimeter defender.
“I’m always thinking defense first and offense second. Getting stops is what I do,” McBride said postgame.
Brunson praised his teammate’s perseverance, stating, “I think the best thing about him is, when he wasn’t playing that much, he was still in the gym every day doing everything he had to do.”
Jalen Brunson finished with 23 points, five assists and four rebounds in the Knicks’ opening night win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden – Image Credit: NBA
McBride, the 36th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, was a Thibodeau favorite for his defense. Despite limited minutes early in his career, he continued to work daily at the Knicks’ practice facility—showing effort and flashes of potential whenever given an opportunity.
Tyler Kolek is another young Knick vying for minutes in Brown’s rotation as the backup point guard. Kolek finished with seven points and two assists in 14 minutes, showing poise running the offense when Brunson sat. During Cleveland’s third-quarter surge, New York responded with a 14-0 run led by Towns, McBride and Kolek—allowing Brunson to rest before closing out the game as the primary ballhandler.
Early in the game, Brown also had Mikal Bridges bring the ball up to give Brunson off-ball reps and conserve energy.
Trusting the bench is key for Brown, who emphasized the importance of developing depth during an 82-game grind. As the saying goes, “Pressure makes diamonds,” and the Knicks will need to find which of their young players can shine as complementary pieces alongside Brunson and Towns on a team with championship aspirations.
Despite missing Robinson and Hart, the Knicks outrebounded the Cavs 48-32 and won the battle of possessions—one of Brown’s core points of emphasis.
“Pretty good effort from our team,” Brown said postgame. “The great part is we’ve got a lot of room to grow, and that’s what’s exciting. You’ve got to give Cleveland credit—we took a double-digit lead into halftime, and they came out and punched us in the mouth in the second half.”
In his Knicks head coaching debut Wednesday night, Mike Brown took home a 119-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers – Image Credit: NBA
After the game, Towns revealed he played through a Grade 2 quad strain.
“I didn’t want to disappoint the fans,” the Dominican-American said. “It’s not something that’s easy to deal with. We made it happen tonight, and I’m glad the fans respected the effort I put in.”
Even while injured, Towns finished with a double-double—19 points and 11 rebounds. In his second season with the Knicks, the New Jersey native with Dominican roots understands what it takes to win in New York.
“It’s electric all the time,” Towns said. “Fans bring it every day—whether it’s Opening Night or Game 30, 60 or 70. Shoutout to the fans for showing up and showing out. Glad we gave them something to cheer about.”
Anunoby led the Knicks in scoring and rebounds, while also recording three steals, one block and a team-high 38 minutes.
“OG was a monster… he was our defensive player of the game,” Brown said.
Anunoby reflected on his comfort in Brown’s system: “The game will tell you what to do. Each game will be different, but as we get more comfortable, it’ll get better and better.”
During a second-quarter timeout, the Knicks honored Carmelo Anthony for his Hall of Fame induction. Anthony is the first basketball player of Puerto Rican heritage to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
A portion of his acceptance speech played on the Jumbotron, drawing a loud ovation when Anthony’s voice echoed: “Once a Knick, always a Knick.”
New York returns to action Friday at home against the Boston Celtics in a playoff rematch from last season’s second round, where the Knicks eliminated Boston. Can the Knicks start the season 2-0, or will the new-look Celtics—without Jayson Tatum—get revenge against the team that sent them home?
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