The New York Knicks‘ wing stoppers failed to contain Darius Garland and Max Strus as they squandered a 23-point lead in a demoralizing 108-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Garland finished with a double-double (26 points and 13 assists) while Strus stepped up without six-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell (ankle), adding 19 points on 5-of-12 3-point shooting.
OG Anunoby (-2) and Mikal Bridges (-14), the Knicks’ wing stoppers, were a combined minus-16 in the loss.
Garland and Strus shot a combined 2-of-3 from the field when Anunoby was defending them, per the NBA matchup tracker. They were a combined 6-for-10 against Bridges. Garland also dished out eight of his 13 assists when Bridges was his primary defender.
Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson led the team with 27 points but tied his season-low for assists with only two. The only other time he was limited to two dimes was against the defending champion and this season’s No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in the opening night blowout loss.
Knicks’ Concerning Record Against Top Teams
The loss extended the Knicks’ concerning winless record to 0-10 against the top teams of both conferences — Cavaliers, Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder — as they head into the postseason looking like a disjointed team compared to their previous playoff teams under coach Tom Thibodeau.
Knicks president Leon Rose and his front office dramatically altered the makeup of the team before this season when they traded for Bridges for five first-round picks and Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
On the surface, they have a successful season, notching their first back-to-back 50-win season since 1994-95. But a deeper look provides more questions than answers for their title hopes. This new-look Knicks team heads into the playoffs with more talent but with questions about fit and grit.
The Knicks clinched the No. 3 seed after the Indiana Pacers fell to Orlando Magic 129-115. They will face the No. 6 Detroit Pistons, this season’s Cinderella team, in the first round.
Detroit has more than tripled its 14 wins last season with 44 and its first playoff berth since 2019.
The young, physical and hungry Pistons have the Knicks’ numbers this season, beating them thrice in four meetings.
Knicks Wing Stoppers’ Playoff Test Awaits
Pistons star Cade Cunningham averaged 30.8 points, 8.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds against the Knicks this season. The 6-foot-6 Cunningham shot 56.3% from the field and 52.0% from the 3-point line in four meetings against the Knicks.
Anunoby and Bridges will have their hands full.
Anunoby signed the most lucrative contract in franchise history ($212 million over five years) as the Knicks are betting he could shut down the bigger wings in the NBA in the playoffs. They also rolled the dice on Bridges, emptying their once tightly guarded and very deep draft capital, for his 3-and-D capabilities, which combined with Anunoby’s skillset is what they believe the right balance around the offensive brilliance of the Brunson-Towns combo.
