CLEVELAND — A disastrous quarter for the Knicks ended with an energized crowd chanting together, “New York sucks, New York sucks.”
And at that moment, it was impossible to argue. The Knicks stunk.
Their first half ended with one cringy possession after another. They were outscored, 15-4, over the final three minutes. They committed nine turnovers just in the second quarter. Josh Hart picked up a technical foul. Darius Garland, a dominant force Tuesday, carved up New York with the precision of a LASIK laser.
The deficit hit 20 at the break and the Knicks never recovered in a Game 2 107-90 blowout defeat Tuesday, knotting up a series that shifts to MSG for the next two games.
The Cavs vowed to get more physical after getting bullied in Game 1. They followed up. Cleveland punished the Knicks, winning the hustle game while holding Tom Thibodeau’s squad to just 60 points through three quarters. Julius Randle drew blood in the second quarter on his arm. He was thrown hard to the court with 2:22 remaining by a flagrant foul on Jarrett Allen, who contested Randle’s dunk attempt while undercutting his legs.
The Knicks, meanwhile, played like they didn’t want to be in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The putrid play was widespread from the Knicks, who committed 17 turnovers and shot just 36.7% from the field. Jalen Brunson and Randle missed a combined 24 of their 37 attempts. Neither had more than 22 points, with Bruson disappearing down the stretch as Cleveland’s defense plugged lanes. Hart played on a hurt ankle and the Knicks were outscored by 30 points in his 27 minutes. Immanuel Quickley hasn’t handled the pressure of the playoffs, following up his Game 1 dud with another ugly evening. .
For the Cavs, Garland was so spectacular (32 points) that Donovan Mitchell only took 11 shots while racking up 13 assists. Caris LeVert redeemed himself after his Game 1 stinker with 24 points.
An important tactical adjustment from Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff was inserting Danny Green into the rotation. The 35-year-old, a three-time NBA champion who only played 11 games during the regular season, filled 20 backup wing minutes and boosted Cleveland’s defense by guarding Randle.
Hart became a surprise addition to the active list after being listed as doubtful on Monday. The reserve guard said his sprained ankle felt better Tuesday morning, at least well enough to suit up.
“It’s attached,” he quipped.
Thibodeau was glad to have his Game 1 hero back.
“He’s a tough player, so any time you have quality players, it adds to your depth,” Thibodeau said. “Really I view him as a starter who comes off the bench. You can trust him, you can count on him. Very dependable, makes everyone around him better, and he plays to win.”
Three nights prior, Hart boosted the Knicks to victory with a clutch trey and important offensive rebounds. In Game 2, he had no such impact.
Hart’s teammates weren’t much better.
When the deficit hit 29 with about six minutes left, the Cleveland crowd started again.
“New York sucks, New York sucks.”
