Two questions loomed large when the Knicks arrived at Ohio’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse: will the New York Knicks (45-33) persevere without their injured All-Star Julius Randle, and how would they fare against their potential Playoff opponent, the fourth-seed Cleveland Cavaliers (48-30).
After a career-high of 48 points from Jalen Brunson, and with seven Knicks recording double-digit points, the Knicks fellowship can rest assured: the answer to both questions is, they’ll be fine.
This clash of the Eastern Conference fourth and fifth seeds was likely a preview of the first round of the upcoming Playoffs, and it did not disappoint.