The Cleveland Cavaliers rolled into New York with half of their rotation on the sidelines. This was a game the Knicks truly wanted to win. Meanwhile, the Cavs didn’t really need to prove anything. They chose to break their hearts anyways.
It was another strange one. Donovan Mitchell remained out with an ankle injury. Ty Jerome, De’Andre Hunter and Sam Merrill took the night off after playing yesterday. And rookie Jaylon Tyson played over 20 minutes for the second straight game after hardly appearing for all of 2025.
And yet, it’s another win for Cleveland.
Darius Garland led the team with 26 points and 13 assists. Max Strus poured on 19 points with three huge three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Isaac Okoro was monumental off the bench, adding 15 points and shooting 3-3 from deep.
New York ultimately didn’t need this game. The Indiana Pacers sealed their own fate by losing to the Orlando Magic. Nonetheless, the Knicks didn’t know that result before taking the floor. This was a game the Knicks desperately wanted to win in order to clinch the third seed. They let go of the rope long before Indiana fell to Orlando.
This team cares about winning
The Cavs had nothing to play for in this game. They clinched the top seed earlier this week and had already shown they don’t care about these games as much as others. That much was clear when they listed numerous rotational players on the injury report.
That didn’t stop tonight’s starters from racking up 30+ minutes — or from the players giving it their all despite falling down by 23 points early in the game. There’s a stark contrast from how last year’s team handled the end of the regular season. We all remember the Cavs throwing their final game of the year against Charlotte.
Now? They are winning because that’s what great teams do. The process doesn’t change. Staying sharp and rolling into the playoffs with momentum is key.
This could have been a totally forgettable night. The 81st game that never even happened. Yet the Cavs maintained their integrity even one the score got out of hand. And through a consistent trust of the process, they slowly crept back into the game until finally getting over the hump in the final quarter.
They can thank one guy in particular for getting them there.
Darius Garland is CLUTCH
Garland has been, or at least should have been, in the running for Clutch Player of the Year all season. He’s matured into one of the best closers in the business. He showed this early in the season by torching New York in Madison Square Garden for a win back in November.
Tonight, he bid them farewell with one more masterclass before the end of the regular season.
This was a brilliant quarter from Garland. The way he used his hesitation move to occupy multiple defenders is textbook point god stuff. He had an answer for anything the Knicks threw at him.
Darius Garland is having himself a quarter. pic.twitter.com/yYJAOe47OD
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) April 12, 2025
Garland had 13 points in the closing frame, going 6-6 from the floor, including a rainbow three-pointer from the logo. His scoring was surgical, darting into the middle of the floor and punishing Mitchell Robinson’s drop coverage with merciless floaters.
Finally, Garland burrowed his way into the paint and converted a tough layup over Robinson to seal the deal. DG saved one of his best fourth quarters of the season for the final weekend of the year.
Defensive switch can be flipped
Cleveland has slid in defensive rating since the All-Star break. I don’t think it’s a coincidence they have been coasting on defense since they’ve held such a strong lead over Boston for the one seed. Still, the Cavs have shown hints of their defensive integrity. Tonight was a full display of what they are capable of when effort is at a maximum.
The Cavs have been picked apart by New York in the past. They’ve been thrashed on the glass by Robinson and struggled to contain Brunson’s dribble drive. It’s clear both of these things were a point of emphasis tonight.
Jarrett Allen outmatched Robinson 13 to 7 on the boards. Allen briefly found himself beaten in the fourth quarter before responding with a huge block-out and rebound over Robinson in the final minute. Mobley chipped in with 10 rebounds as Cleveland won the battle 49-35.
More so, the Cavs’ closing lineup put on a defensive clinic in the clutch. They forced multiple shot clock violations and an awkward traveling violation by swarming every action the Knicks tried to run.
Okoro, in particular, deserves a shout-out for checking Brunson. Okoro gave him no daylight and played a role in forcing Brunson into a handful of key misses in the fourth quarter.
The Cavs are officially one game away from the postseason. They won’t have any excuse for coasting once the playoffs begin. If that means we get more defensive performances like tonight — then something tells me they might have plenty of more games to play before this season is over.
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