Kenny Atkinson had reached his breaking point.
His Cleveland Cavaliers initially managed to disrupt the Knicks’ play, but this New York team has developed into a multifaceted threat.
As Donovan Mitchell failed to convert a layup with less than 11 minutes remaining in the tightly contested game at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks quickly seized the opportunity to turn defense into offense. The long rebound sparked a fast break for Jordan Clarkson. After a crafty pump fake and a quick reset, the ball ricocheted towards the paint.
Karl-Anthony Towns was quickest to react, grabbing the ball before any Cavalier could make a move. He swiftly passed it to a trailing Miles McBride, who nailed a three-pointer, extending New York’s lead to six and shifting the momentum decisively in their favor.
Frustrated, Atkinson signaled for a timeout, a clear indication of his dissatisfaction with his team’s performance. Just two minutes later, the Knicks’ lead had stretched to 11 points, prompting Atkinson to call for yet another timeout in a desperate attempt to rally his team.
Both squads came into Wednesday night’s season opener dealing with injuries. The Knicks were missing Mitchell Robinson due to an ankle issue and managing Josh Hart’s lumbar spasms. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers were without their starting point guard, Darius Garland, as well as sixth man De’Andre Hunter and forward Max Strus.
Yet it was the Knicks — with a new head coach, a reshaped identity, and a retooled offense — who looked like the team with continuity. The Cavaliers, by contrast, played disjointed, relying almost exclusively on a 21-point third-quarter explosion from Mitchell to stay within striking distance.
New York, however, never flinched.
The Knicks closed strong for a 119–111 win over the same Cavaliers team that NBA general managers overwhelmingly picked to win the Eastern Conference in this year’s preseason poll. Only a third of those same GMs tabbed the Knicks as Finals contenders.
It was a striking reversal from a year ago, when the Boston Celtics ran the Knicks off the floor in a blowout season opener — a reality check for a team with championship aspirations. Those Knicks were still finding chemistry after blockbuster trades for Towns and Mikal Bridges.
These Knicks, under Mike Brown, looked connected from the jump.
Brown wasn’t sure how his group would respond in its first true test against a 64-win opponent, but he was clear about what mattered: sacrifice, connection, competitive spirit, and belief — in each other and in the process.
“I want them to continue to believe no matter what happens, as long as we’re doing those things, because it’s our standard,” Brown said before tipoff. “I want them to continue to believe in the process and each other as we go along, and if somebody goes a little too far left or a little too far right, including me, we expect everybody to hold each other accountable.
“That’s our standard. That’s what I want to see, and if we do that while we’re learning with the understanding that this is gonna be a process, then I’m OK with it.”
The Knicks followed his script to perfection.
Mitchell finished with a game-high 31 points but was held to just two in the final quarter after scorching New York for 29 through three. Brunson captained the Knicks with 23 points, four rebounds, and fiv assists, while all four starters not named Ariel Hukporti — who filled in admirably at center for the injured Robinson — scored in double figures.
OG Anunoby put up 24 points and 14 rebounds, Bridges poured in 16, and Towns, who was listed as doubtful just hours before tipoff, posted 19 points and 11 rebounds.
For a team still adjusting to a new system and missing key contributors, it was the kind of opening statement that resonates long past one night in October.
The Knicks have their next test on Friday against the Boston Celtics, who, like the Cavs and Knicks, have their own fair share of injuries with Jayson Tatum out an extended period of time.
If the season opener was any indication, the Knicks are up to the challenge. Cleveland and Boston will rematch each other at The Garden on Christmas.
