Cavs blow out Knicks by 37 points in matchup of 2 of East’s best
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points, Evan Mobley added 21 and the Cleveland Cavaliers bullied the New York Knicks from the start Friday night, winning 142-105 in a matchup of two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.
Only the Cavs looked elite, winning their sixth straight and improving the NBA’s best record to 46-10. Cleveland has won 14 games by 20-plus points, matching its most in a season in franchise history. The Cavs also topped 140 points for the fourth time in 2024-25, their most in franchise history.
The 37-point loss was the Knicks’ largest under coach Tom Thibodeau, and tied the third largest in Thibodeau’s head coaching career.
Jalen Brunson scored 26 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 for the Knicks, who beat Chicago in overtime Thursday in their first game back from the All-Star break.
New York couldn’t use a back-to-back set as an excuse as the Cavs won in Brooklyn a night earlier. Friday was Cleveland’s second-largest win this season; the Cavs beat the Dallas Mavericks by 43 points Feb. 2.
Cleveland got a scare in the first half when All-Star guard Darius Garland hit his head on the floor while taking an awkward fall. Garland, who missed significant time last season due to a broken jaw, stayed in the game.
The Cavs played most of the second half without center Jarrett Allen, who injured his right hand. X-rays were negative.
New York was without versatile swingman Josh Hart, who missed his second straight game because of a sore right knee. But the Knicks saw the return of OG Anunoby, who played for the first time since Feb. 1 after dealing with a toe injury.
Anunoby played 27 minutes, finishing with 5 points, 1 steal and 2 turnovers. He is one of three players with 100 3-pointers, 60 steals and 40 blocks this season.
Mitchell went on a tear late in the first half, dropping a trio of 3-pointers in the final 1:43 as Cleveland opened a 27-point halftime lead. Mitchell came in averaging 30.7 points. 6.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his previous nine regular-season games against the Knicks.
The Knicks fell to 0-6 this season against the Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder (the only teams with better records than New York).
It’s a big weekend for both teams as the Knicks are in Boston on Sunday and the Cavs host the top-scoring Memphis Grizzlies that night.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
HOUSTON — Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. returned to action Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves after missing 22 games with a broken left hand.
Smith, normally a starter, entered the game off the bench early in the first quarter. Head coach Ime Udoka said this was due in part to the possibility of not having some players Saturday night in Utah as the Rockets play back-to-back games.
“It was just a little bit of everything,” Udoka said before the game. “Easing him back into it a little bit, not really conditioning wise, but we will see how he looks in this game and then everything is kind of open moving forward.”
Smith broke a metacarpal bone in the hand during the team’s shootaround on Jan. 3. The Rockets went 12-10 with Smith out.
Amen Thompson started 20 of the 22 games during Smith’s absence and was selected the Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month in January.
Smith started every game this season before the injury, averaging 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Fred VanVleet missed his eighth straight game Friday with a strained right ankle.
Rudy Gobert missed his second straight game with lower back spasms Friday night for Minnesota. But Mike Conley returned after missing four games with a sprained right index finger.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ESPN
EDITOR’S PICKS
The favorites for the NBA’s top awards: MVP, Rookie of the Year and All-NBA teams
1dKevin Pelton
Too-early NBA offseason preview: 10 questions on Luka, Durant, Trae and major summer moves
1dBobby Marks
NBA MVP straw poll: The new SGA-Jokic battle, and what’s next for rising contenders
7dTim Bontemps
EDITOR’S PICKS
The favorites for the NBA’s top awards: MVP, Rookie of the Year and All-NBA teams
1dKevin Pelton
Butler back in Miami, MVP clashes: Biggest reunions, storylines to watch
3dNBA insiders
Too-early NBA offseason preview: 10 questions on Luka, Durant, Trae and major summer moves
1dBobby Marks
Nightly Pulse: NBA News & Highlights from Feb. 21
Catch up on tonight’s NBA action as several teams resume play following the All-Star break.
NBA.com Staff
Friday Night Hoops 🏀
Cavaliers 142, Knicks 105
Grizzlies 105, Magic 104
Bucks 104, Wizards 101
Heat @ Raptors – Watch
Pistons @ Spurs – Watch
Pelicans @ Mavericks – Watch
Thunder @ Jazz – Watch
Warriors @ Kings – 10:00PM ET
👀 Heat on Verge of 5th Straight Loss
The Toronto Raptors are playing good team basketball and are now only three points behind Miami. Toronto’s home crowd will try to will their team to victory, which would mark the 5th straight loss for Miami if they drop this one.
Wizards Within Two 🚨
Washington has reached a new offensive gear late in the fourth and are on the verge of a comeback upset win. The Bucks are without Giannis Antetokounmpo for the remainder of the game after fouling out. Damian Lillard was also sidelined for this one.
Paolo Express 🚆
Banchero steamrolls his way to the rin, keeping his foot on the pedal as the Magic try to hold off a Grizzlies comeback. We’re in the final minutes of a good one in Orlando.
Castle at the Buzzer ✅
Stephon Castle helped his team salvage momentum with a buzzer-beating floater to end the first quarter. He came off the bench and has had success early, but his team trails to the Pistons, 36-27.
KPJ Hammer 🔨
The Bucks have a double-digit lead and will hope to ride that to victory in the fourth quarter against the Wizards. Kevin Porter Jr. had a powerful flush, flashing the scoring upside that he brings to this Milwaukee squad.
Grizzlies Storm Back 😳
This game has gone back and forth in each quarter, but the third has been especially volatile. Orlando led by as many as 17 midway through the period, before the lead was completely erased as the Grizzlies caught fire from deep. Paolo Banchero sank a triple just before the quarter ended to give the Magic a three-point lead going into the final frame.
GG Jackson is largely responsible for Memphis clawing back, as he sank three straight triples to even the game.
Pelicans Dynamic Offense 🔥
New Orleans is flashing their offensive upside early against the Mavericks. Zion Williamson slams down the alley-oop from near halfcourt from Kelly Olynyk. Olynyk was acquired from Toronto in the deal that sent Brandon Ingram to the Raptors.
Trey Murphy III continues his breakout season by doing what he does best, knocking down triples.
Knicks Fall Behind Big
This matchup between two top-three seeds in the Easter conference has been completely one-sided. Cleveland led by 27 points at halftime. 77 points are the most the Knicks have relinquished in the first half all season.
Fox 🤝 CP3
The San Antonio Spurs will roll out De’Aaron Fox and Chris Paul alongside each other in the starting backcourt. With Victor Wembanyama ruled out for the season, the recently acquired Bismack Biyombo will get the starting nod at center tonight.
Barnes Back in Action
Good news for Toronto fans as Scottie Barnes’ ankle scare appears to not be too serious. Barnes headed to the locker room toward the end of the first quarter against the Heat, but has returned to the court halfway through the second quarter.
Knotted at Halftime 🪢
It’s anybody’s game in Orlando, as the Magic and Grizzlies head to the locker room tied at 53. Memphis claimed a seven-point advantage after the first quarter. Orlando would answer in the second, led by Cole Anthony and Franz Wagner who have 12 and 11 points respectively.
Scottie Barnes Heads to Locker Room
The young Raptors star needed assistance to the sideline after appearing to injure his ankle while guarding a Bam Adebayo drive. He eventually was aided to the locker room for further evaluation. His team is trailing by double-digits against Miami after one period, 30-19.
2-Way Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins demonstrates in one sequence why his addition is appealing for Heat culture. He gets the steal on one end, and drains the triple on the other. This is his third game with Miami since being acquired in the Jimmy Butler trade.
Donovan Mitchell helps Cleveland extend their lead with the acrobatic finish plus the foul. Mitchell now has a team-high 15 points with several minutes to go before halftime.
Cavs 1Q Explosion 💣
Cleveland has scored with ease all season, especially so in the opening quarter. That remains true tonight as they lead 41-29 against the Knicks after one. They sunk 17-23 field goals in that frame, led by Evan Mobley with 13 early points.
New Chapter 📖
Khris Middleton scored his first career points for the Washington Wizards tonight, after being dealt there at the deadline. Prior to the trade, Middleton spent his entire career in Milwaukee.
As a team, the Wizards are rolling early against a short-handed Milwaukee team. The Bucks are struggling offensively without Damian Lillard, shooting just 35% in the first period. Washington leads 32-19 after one.
Who’s Stopping Paolo?
The Memphis Grizzlies will be tasked with taming Paolo Banchero, who’s coming off of an incredible performance last night. Banchero torched Atlanta for 36 points, 11 rebounds and five assists – and most importantly, the win.
OG Returns for NY
Head Coach Tom Thibodeau will have a boost in his starting lineup tonight, as OG Anunoby suits up for his first contest since February 1st. His return softens the blow of not having Josh Hart for the second night in a row. His presence will help on the defensive end, as they try to slow down one of the league’s most potent offenses.
Cleveland’s Keys 🔑
The Cavaliers’ are prioritizing matching New York’s physicality. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley will be tasked with taming Karl-Anthony Towns, while imposing their will on the offensive end.
Tonight’s Top Stories 📰👇
Follow along as 26 teams resume regular season play following the NBA Cup championship break
Follow along with the highlights, scores and reaction from tonight’s NBA games.
See all the highlights, reaction and scores as tonight’s NBA action unfolds.
Follow along as the league makes its final stop before the big Christmas Day lineup.
Denver has climbed the Western Conference standings over the last 3 weeks.
RotoWire highlights the top waiver wire targets for Week 18 of fantasy action.
LeBron drops 40 to make history, KAT & Paolo do work, the Nuggets keep cooking, East powers return to action and more.
DFS picks for Friday’s 9-game slate in the NBA.
The 3-time scoring champ hits a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer in Milwaukee to reach another significant scoring milestone.
Lakers star plays in his 1,542nd career game and becomes the 1st player with multiple 40-point games after turning 40.
If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page.
NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLC’s Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Use limited data to select advertising. Measure content performance. Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised content. Create profiles to personalise content. Measure advertising performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content.
List of Partners (vendors)
LATEST
Additional Tracking Preferences
NEWS
Nightly Pulse: NBA News & Highlights from Dec. 19
Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Jan. 24
Nightly Pulse: NBA news & highlights from Jan. 17
Nightly Pulse: NBA News & Highlights from Dec. 23
NUGGETS EYE FIRST 10-GAME STREAK UNDER MALONE
NBA FANTASY: WEEK 18 WAIVER WIRE ADDS
STARTING 5: KNICKS, CAVS SET TO SQUARE OFF
NBA FANTASY: DFS LINEUP PICKS FOR FEB. 21
HARDEN BECOMES 13TH TO ECLIPSE 27K POINTS
LEBRON MOVES UP TO NO. 3 IN GAMES PLAYED
We and our partners process data to provide:
RELATED
It didn’t matter that OG Anunoby, the Knicks’ top defender, returned from a five-game absence because of a sprained foot.
Struggling on both ends, Anunoby finished with just five points in 27 minutes and appeared to hurt his foot again in the third quarter as the Cavaliers (46-10) scored more points than the Knicks allowed in any regulation game this season.
Even Thibodeau, who famously is reluctant to wave the white flag, gave up fast by emptying his bench to start the fourth quarter.
