Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns lead Knicks past Cavs, 109-97

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a five-point lead, a long injury list and no rest. Jalen Brunson took care of the lead. Brunson scored 18 points in a little more than four minutes of the second quarter, turning a competitive evening into a showcase for the Knicks’ captain as New York built an 88-70 lead through three quarters against Cleveland at Rocket Arena on Saturday. The Knicks went on to defeat the Cavs, 109-97, on Saturday. They are now above .500 for the first time as reigning NBA champions. kAmqCF?D@? D4@C65 aa A@:?ED :? E96 @A6?:?8 A6C:@5 @7 E96 z?:42?46 H:E9 2 C@FE @7 E96 r2G2=:6CD[ AFD9:?8 E96 z?:46D @? $2EFC52J]k^Am kAm%96 r2G2=:6CD Wd\dX H6C6 A=2J:?8 E96 D64@?5 =68 @7 2 324<\E@\324< 27E6C 362E:?8 !9:=256=A9:2[ ``h\hd[ 2E 9@>6 uC:52J] %96J H6C6 2=D@ H:E9@FE DE2CE:?8 46?E6C y2CC6EE p==6?[ D:56=:?65 3J 2 C:89E |6CC:== 2?5 y2J=@? %JD@?[ @FE H:E9 C:89E 6=3@H :?;FCJ >2?286>6?E 2?5 2 C:89E 2?<=6 DAC2:?[ C6DA64E:G6=J]k^Am kAm%96 z?:46D 27E6C C@FE:?8 r9:428@ @? (65?6D52J[ E9@F89 E96J H6C6 H:E9@FE DE2CE:?8 7@CH2C5 y@D9 w2CE[ H9@ >:DD65 9:D D64@?5 4@?D64FE:G6 82>6 5F6 E@ 2 D@C6 C:89E 2?<=6] r=6G6=2?5 925 =6DD E92? 2 52J 36EH66? @AA@?6?ED]k^Am kAm%92E H2D 2? 25G2?E286 E@ 6IA=@:E[ ?@E 2 C6DF=E E96 D4965F=6 4@F=5 56=:G6C 7@C E96>]k^Am kAmu@C 2 BF2CE6C 2?5 2 92=7[ r=6G6=2?5 >256 E92E 5:DE:?4E:@? 4=62C]k^Am kAm%96 r2G2=:6CD =65 af\ae 27E6C E96 7:CDE BF2CE6C] #6D6CG6 7@CH2C5 #:=6J |:?:I DFAA=:65 6:89E A@:?ED :? C@F89=J E96 7:CDE 7@FC 2?5 2 92=7 >:?FE6D @7 E96 D64@?5[ E96 =2DE E9C66 @? 2 D9@E E92E AFD965 r=6G6=2?5’D =625 E@ bh\bc]k^Am kAmqCF?D@? 2?DH6C65 7C@> 566A] %9@>2D qCJ2?E 2?DH6C65 9:>[ 2?5 E96 r2G2=:6CD =65 ca\bf H:E9 eiaa =67E 367@C6 92=7E:>6]k^Am kAm%96? E96 z?:46 2A2CE]k^Am kAmqCF?D@? >256 EH@ 7C66 E9C@HD[ 9:E 2 DE6A\324< ;F>A6C 2?5 4@??64E65 @? 2 EFC?2C@F?5 72562H2J E@ AFE }6H *@C< 29625 cb\ca] |6=66< %9@>2D 3C:67=J C6DE@C65 r=6G6=2?5’D =625 H:E9 2 b\A@:?E6C]k^Am kAmqCF?D@? E@@< :E 324< H:E9 2?@E96C b]k^Am kAm%96? 96 9:E @?6 H9:=6 5C2H:?8 2 7@F= 2?5 4@?G6CE65 E96 7C66 E9C@H[ 2 7@FC\A@:?E A=2J E92E DEC6E4965 E96 z?:42:?:?8] w:D AF==\FA ;F>A6C 2E E96 aibf >2C< >256 :E da\cf]k^Am kAmx?4=F5:?8 9:D 7:CDE b\A@:?E6C 2E eice[ qCF?D@? D4@C65 `g A@:?ED :? 2 DA2? @7 7@FC >:?FE6D 2?5 ?:?6 D64@?5D]k^Am kAmp?5 H96? r=6G6=2?5 H2D?’E H2E49:?8 9:> D4@C6[ :E H2D H2E49:?8 9:> 7:?5 D@>6@?6 6=D6]k^Am kAmqCF?D@? 2DD:DE65 2 {2?5CJ $92>6E b\A@:?E6C 2?5 2 |:=6D |4qC:56 AF==\FA] ~v p?F?@3J 3FC:65 EH@ bD :? E96 7:?2= cg D64@?5D @7 E96 92=7[ E96 D64@?5 @77 2?@E96C qCF?D@? A2DD]k^Am kAm%96 z?:46]k^Am kAm%96 E9:C5 BF2CE6C 6IE6?565 E96 D6A2C2E:@?] %96 z?:4 E96 7:6=5] w6 7:?:D965 H:E9 b` A@:?ED @? `a\@7\ad D9@@E:?8 7C@> E96 7:6=5 E@ 8@ H:E9 ?:?6 2DD:DED 2?5 D:I C63@F?5D]k^Am kAmz2C=\p?E9@?J %@H?D DFAA=:65 E96 @E96C 92=7 @7 E96 2EE24<]k^Am kAmq67@C6 qCF?D@?’D 6CFAE:@?[ %@H?D D4@C65 `c 7:CDE\BF2CE6C A@:?ED E@ <66A E96 z?:4 E96 7:6=5 2?5 >2<:?8 2== 7:G6 @7 9:D 7C66 E9C@HD]k^Am kAm%@H?D D64FC65 2 5@F3=6\5@F3=6 :? 6249 @7 E96 z?:46D[ 6IE6?5:?8 2 DEC62< E92E 3682? :? E96 D62D@? @A6?6C]k^Am kAm(:E9@FE p==6?[ r=6G6=2?5 H2D >:DD:?8 2 DE2CE:?8 3:8 >2?] %@H?D 96=A65 >2<6 E92E 23D6?46 >2EE6C[ 2?5 E96 z?:4[ 2?5 p?5C6 sCF>>@?5 4@?EC:3FE65 6:89E E@E2= C63@F?5D :? `c >:?FE6D @77 E96 36?49]k^Am kAm%96 z?:4>:EE65 7:G6 EFC?@G6CD E@ r=6G6=2?5’D ?:?6 2?5 96=5 2 `d\g 25G2?E286 :? A@:?ED @77 EFC?@G6CD] pE E96 7@F= =:?6[ }6H *@C< H2D `_ 7@C `_ H9:=6 r=6G6=2?5 H2D `_ 7@C `f]k^Am kAms@?@G2? |:E496==[ 4@>:?8 @77 2 ab\A@:?E A6C7@C>2?46 282:?DE !9:=256=A9:2[ 925 `e A@:?ED @? d\7@C\`` D9@@E:?8 H:E9 7@FC EFC?@G6CD] y2>6D w2C56? 925 7:G6 A@:?ED @? `\7@C\f D9@@E:?8] tG2? |@3=6J 4@?EC:3FE65 `_ A@:?ED[ D:I C63@F?5D 2?5 7:G6 2DD:DED]k^Am kAm%96 z?:4:DD:?8 2 DE2CE6C @7 E96:C @H?] y@D9 w2CE D2E @FE 9:D D64@?5 4@?D64FE:G6 82>6 H:E9 C:89E 2?<=6 D@C6?6DD[ 2?5 $92>6E 282:? DE2CE65 :? 9:D A=246]k^Am kAm$92>6E >256 E9C66 b\A@:?E6CD 7@C ?:?6 A@:?ED E9C@F89 E9C66 BF2CE6CD] p?F?@3J 25565 `b A@:?ED[ :?4=F5:?8 E9C66 bD] |:<2= qC:586D 925 D6G6? A@:?ED[ D:I C63@F?5D 2?5 E9C66 2DD:DED[ E9@F89 96 D9@E b 7@C ``]k^Am kAmz?:4:?FE6D 2?5 4@==64E65 7@FC 2DD:DED 2?5 7@FC C63@F?5D :? D6G6? >:?FE6D]k^Am kAm}6H *@C< 6?E6C65 $2EFC52J 2E c\c[ H:E9 r=6G6=2?5 2E d\c] %96 E62>D >66E 282:? @? (65?6D52J 2E |25:D@? $BF2C6 v2C56?[ 27E6C E96 z?:4