New York Knicks Lose Again Against a Contender

The New York Knicks lost 108-102 last night at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. New York was in firm control of the game, but everything fell apart in the second half. They coughed up a 23-point lead and were outscored by 18 points in the final 24 minutes. Even though the Cavaliers were without its best player, Donovan Mitchell, they stormed back to win.

Friday night was an age-old story for the New York Knicks. They have been unable to beat the NBA’s top 3 teams this year. They finished the regular season 0-4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 0-4 against the Boston Celtics, and 0-2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the NBA Playoffs around the corner, how will the New York Knicks fare?

New York Knicks Season Summary

Even with a loss last night, an Indiana Pacers loss locked the Knicks into the No. 3 seed. They will face the Detroit Pistons in the 1st Round of the NBA Playoffs. The Knicks are limping into the postseason losers of three straight games. New York lost to Detroit 115-106 on the road on Thursday. The Knicks blew a 13-point lead to finish the season 1-3 against the Pistons.

New York has been paced by its offense this season. They are ninth in points scored, fourth in field goal percentage, and 10th in three-point percentage. The issue has been their defense. They are ninth in points allowed, 24th in opposing field goal percentage, and 25th in opposing three-point percentage. 

Final Thoughts

The Knicks finish the regular season Sunday afternoon on the road against the Brooklyn Nets. While New York has been one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams, an inability to beat the top teams makes it hard to trust them in the postseason. They will have a tough series against the Detroit Pistons. If they advance, the Knicks will presumably face the Boston Celtics. Nothing about New York’s performance this year makes it seem like they could be a top team four times.