The Knicks tip off against the Cavaliers for a 7:00 p.m. matchup from the Garden in a matchup of two teams that are considered Eastern Conference favorites this season.
New York will be without center Mitchell Robinson and guard Josh Hart, while Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to play despite his status fluctuating throughout the day.
Will the Knicks make a statement against their Eastern Conference foe?
Or will the Cavaliers have additional motivation after losing to New York in the playoffs?
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Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown reacts on the sideline in the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York, Wednesday, October 22, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
This’ll play.
This’ll work.
This’ll be just fine if this is what the Knicks are going to look like across the next six months, across the next 81 games, across this vast regular season that holds such promise on the other end. This 119-111 victory over the Cavaliers — two Eastern Conference heavyweights depleted at the start of this journey by injury — will be a nice little blueprint for what’s to come, thank you very much.
"It's electric all the time. Fans bring it every day. Regardless if it's Opening Night or game 30 or game 60, 70. Shoutout to the fans showing up, showing out. Glad we gave them something to cheer about"
Jalen Brunson was asked how comfortable he is in catch-and-shoot situations:
"I'm very comfortable shooting the ball, regardless of however I shoot the ball. I wasn't comfortable tonight - 5-for-18 - but I have a comfort level that I'm very confident with." pic.twitter.com/NrYzEp7mBB
OG Anunoby goes up for a rebound during the Knicks' season-opening win against the Cavaliers on Oct. 22. NBAE via Getty Images
OG Anunoby entered Wednesday night as a game-time decision due to his ankle injury. But in addition to pouring in a team-high 24 points and becoming the Knicks' "defensive player of the game," as head coach Mike Brown said, Anunoby also tied a career-high with 14 rebounds.
Twelve of those were defensive rebounds, and he also added a pair of offensive rebounds to help the Knicks overcome the loss to Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management) and Josh Hart (back) — two of their best rebounders.
Karl-Anthony Towns says he's playing through a Grade 2 quad strain and "it was hurting"
"I didn't want to disappoint the fans. It's not something that's easy to deal with. We made it happen tonight, I'm glad the fans respected the effort I put in to play tonight" pic.twitter.com/mfzIup8QyA
Donovan Mitchell almost single-handedly had the Knicks on the ropes.
He caught fire for 21 points in the third quarter Wednesday night and gave the Cavaliers a one-point lead, undoing the Knicks’ dominant first half. The raucous Madison Square Garden had gone quiet. Mike Brown’s Opening Night party was at risk of being spoiled.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson goes up for a shot as Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley defends in the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York, Wednesday, October 22, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
New York Knicks center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns slams the ball in the first half at Madison Square Garden in New York, Wednesday, October 22, 2025. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
The Knicks, though, are far more than a one-man show and did not waver, perhaps the of developments. They opened the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run — with four different scorers — and quickly wrestled control right back en route to a rousing 119-111 win. Mitchell scored just two points in the fourth quarter.
For large stretches, what was supposed to be a matchup of the best two teams in the Eastern Conference looked like a mismatch. The Cavaliers looked like they had a superstar in Mitchell — the Knicks looked like they had a complete team around their superstar, Jalen Brunson.
"I averaged what, 35 minutes last year? I played 34:23. We're going to harp on this idea of the minutes stuff like that, but regardless, we have a lot of players on this team that can make plays and play well."
"Our expectations are extremely high, but we're not going to get ahead of ourselves. Whether we won or lost, it's one game, and we feel like as the season goes along, we're going to get better.
We won the game and we had some good moments, but we don't feel like we're anywhere… pic.twitter.com/D6JDZOdS0j
"I truly believe this deep is a deep team. You give Leon Rose and this group a lot of credit for it. It's my job to keep trying to find combinations out on the floor that work."
