3 Reasons Cleveland Cavaliers Lost to the New York Knicks Despite Donovan Mitchell’s 37 Points

Brunson sparks Knicks’ big quarter

Jalen Brunson’s second-quarter scoring surge helped New York take control. He had 18 points in the period and finished with 31 as the Knicks built a lead Cleveland could not erase.

The loss came in the teams’ first matchup since the Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland had played well the night before but did not carry that level of performance into this game.

Offensive boards create extra chances

New York won the rebounding battle 49-40, with offensive rebounds proving especially costly. The Knicks collected 16 offensive boards and turned them into 26 second-chance points. Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed five offensive rebounds himself, putting several back against Evan Mobley. Cleveland’s effort to send players to the glass also left openings around the perimeter for New York’s three-point shooting.

Harden struggles on defense and offense

James Harden finished with seven points on 2-for-9 shooting and a minus-23 plus/minus, the worst mark among the starters. The account describes his poor play as a recurring concern this season, rather than an isolated bad night.

Cleveland switched Meleek Thomas and Peyton Watson onto Brunson, but Harden still ended up alone defensively too often. The account also says he can make a late shot or two, but offers little else consistently.

Mitchell’s scoring surge comes late

Donovan Mitchell finished with 37 points, but his burst came with less than six minutes remaining and Cleveland down by 16. The account argues that an earlier start to his scoring push might have given the Cavaliers a chance to take control or force overtime. Cleveland fell to 5-5 and is scheduled to travel to Charlotte on Monday, looking to respond and return to winning ways.