The New York Knicks lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth time this season, 108-102, as they were swept in the season series.
Despite the loss, the Knicks locked up the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, with the Indiana Pacers losing to the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
After Friday’s loss, New York has a minus-68 point differential against the Cavaliers. They finished the 2024-2025 regular season with a 1-13 record against the top three seeds from both the Eastern and Western Conferences combined.
Even without Donovan Mitchell, the Knicks still couldn’t find an answer for Cleveland’s offense. Darius Garland poured in 26 points on 10-of-17 shots from the field. Garland tallied a double-double, recording 13 assists.
Jalen Brunson showed glimpses of his old self, posting a 27-point night in the win. Four other Knicks reached double-figures: Mikal Bridges, Landry Shamet, OG Anunoby, and Miles McBride.
The Knicks will play one more regular season game against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, but their next real test will be in the first round of the playoffs against the Detroit Pistons, who beat them on Thursday night.
The Pistons are a defensive-first team and will bully softer opponents, which doesn’t bode well for New York. The Knicks have also lost three out of four matchups against the Pistons this season, setting up a potential round-one upset in the Big Apple.
Despite having a 1-3 season record against Detroit, New York had a positive point differential of plus-seven.
Matchups against the Pistons in 2024-2025
- April 10: 115-106 – Loss
- Jan 13: 124-119 – Loss
- Dec 7: 120-111 – Loss
- Nov. 1: 128-98 – Win
Some promising news is they never lost to Detroit by double-digits despite being unhealthy for the majority of the season. When they beat them, they won by 30.
If the Knicks can get somewhat healthy in a week, they’ll have a legitimate shot of beating the Pistons, but they won’t be blowout victories. Detroit’s defense is too tough and physical, so it might come down to coaching, which has held New York back this season.
