The Knicks had, as they predicted, shrugged off the daunting task in front of them, on the road on the second night of a back-to-back. And they had added to the degree of difficulty, spotting the Cleveland Cavaliers a 15-point lead in the second half.
Now, after all of this, the Knicks had the ball with a chance to win the game in the final seconds. But Julius Randle’s desperation three-pointer fell far short and the Knicks first step on this arduous portion of the schedule began with a 95-93 loss to the Cavs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Knicks had fought back with rookie Quentin Grimes draining threes and then RJ Barrett getting to the rim. But on their final opportunities it was the Knicks stars — Barrett and Randle — unable to connect on three-pointers. Barrett led the Knicks with 24 points and Randle added 18. Obi Toppin chipped in 13 points and Grimes had 12.
