A season ago, the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers were two of the top dogs in the Eastern Conference. With injuries galore impacting other top competitors in the conference, the Knicks and Cavs should have the opportunity to accomplish what neither did a season ago: reach the NBA Finals.
Only one of these powerhouses can come out on top, though. Both teams, too, are facing serious injuries heading into the season. The Cavs will be without Darius Garland, while the Knicks will be without Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart.
Needless to say, this should be a thrilling matchup that gets fans excited for the upcoming season. Here are the latest updates:
The Knicks are already looking like a different team under new head coach Mike Brown, emphasizing player and ball movement, which has led to easy 3-point attempts in the first quarter. New York leads 33-23 after the first 12 minutes, having already attempted 11 shots from downtown.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who was questionable to play with a quad injury, started the game and scored four early points, but found himself on the bench within five minutes after being whistled for two quick fouls. New York was hot early, using a 12-0 run to take an early seven-point lead. Mikal Bridges then took over, scoring seven straight points, the last on a jumper leading to Evan Mobley, the reigning defensive player of the year, getting his second foul.
