Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. lead the way for the Knicks
The reeling Cleveland Cavaliers took on the weaker Knicks Sunday night in a matchup that should have been open and close. In a disappointing turn of events, the game was anything but lopsided for the Cavs as New York virtually led the game from end to end.
A large part of the Knicks success boiled down to the impact of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis’ combined 66 points on 26-44 shooting from the floor. While the pair scored in bunches throughout the night, none of their points would’ve been possible without the lackluster defense of the Cavaliers.
Behind a bottom six defense, Cleveland has sustained one of the worst defenses in the league this season. They’ve struggled to contain even the most average of offenses and Sunday was no different. Although the team’s overall defense was supposed to improve with the addition of celebrated lockdown defender Jae Crowder, they’ve actually looked considerably worse than expected when he’s been on the court.
To make matters worse, Crowder isn’t the only one who’s scrambled to himself on a new team. Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose and Jeff Green have all seemed to have lost their bearings amid playing career low minutes.
The Knicks dropped 114 points in their 19 point blowout of the Cavaliers and unless they learn to solve their defensive woes, opponents will be licking their lips at the opportunity to hang a new career high on Cleveland. The expected return of Isaiah Thomas in January may have basketball junkies optimistic for a midseason turnaround, but it’s possible the Cavs might fare better without him considering he’s ranked among the league’s most historically terrible defenders.
Whatever the case, a LeBron led team has yet to miss the NBA Finals in over seven years. So however bad their situation looks from the outside, at this point, it should come as no surprise if Cleveland ends up representing the Eastern Conference in a battle to take home the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in June.
