Knicks collapse in fourth, fall to Cavaliers 108-102 and get swept in season series

For a while, it looked like the Knicks were going to finally get one back. They led by 23 points in the second quarter, seemed in control, and the crowd was buzzing. But then everything unraveled.

The Knicks blew a 48-25 lead, sputtered offensively in the fourth quarter, and watched the Cavaliers storm back to take the game 108-102—completing a season sweep over New York and putting a dent in their playoff seeding hopes.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 27 points but missed a key layup with 49 seconds remaining that could’ve trimmed the deficit to two. Just 21 seconds later, OG Anunoby missed a clean look as well, after the Cavs threw a bad pass and gave New York another chance.

Instead of capitalizing, the Knicks fell short again. Two free throws by Evan Mobley with 24 seconds left pushed Cleveland’s lead to 108-102. Then, with 14 seconds on the clock, a bad pass by Brunson effectively ended it.

The fourth quarter was brutal for the Knicks. They were outscored 30-16 and started the quarter ice-cold, hitting just 1-of-11 shots to open the frame.

Meanwhile, Darius Garland put on an absolute clinic, scoring 13 of his 26 points in the fourth while also dishing out 13 assists. Max Strus added 19 points, Mobley posted 16 points and 10 boards, and Jarrett Allen chipped in with 11 points and 13 rebounds—giving Cleveland three players with double-doubles. The Knicks had none.

Mikal Bridges scored 17 points and handed out 8 assists, while Anunoby added 15 points. Off the bench, Landry Shamet hit five threes to finish with 15 points—all from beyond the arc—and Miles McBride added 12. But the energy just fizzled out when it mattered most.

This one stung not just because of the blown lead, but because it continued an ugly trend. With this loss, the Knicks remain winless against the East’s top two teams—0-4 against the Celtics, now 0-4 against the Cavaliers—and they’ve also been swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder out West. The good news? There’s one regular-season game left.

“We’re heading down the stretch. We knew the challenge of Jalen going out and then coming back and then losing a couple other guys. But we got to have rhythm going into the playoffs. So this has to be changed quickly.”

– Tom Thobodeau

Despite the loss to Cleveland, the Knicks still locked in the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference thanks to a little help from elsewhere—specifically, the Indiana Pacers falling to the Orlando Magic. Even if the Knicks finish with the same record as Indiana, they own the head-to-head tiebreaker. That means no more scoreboard watching; the seeding is set.

With the 3rd seed officially secured, the Knicks are set to face the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs. While it might seem like a favorable matchup at a glance, the reality is more complicated—New York went just 1-3 against Detroit during the regular season.

Given recent struggles against top competition and even some under-the-radar teams, nothing about this series can be taken lightly. Still, locking in home-court advantage and the No. 3 seed gives the Knicks a valuable edge as they head into the postseason.

Up-next: Knicks (50-31) will end their season in Brooklyn against the 26-55 Nets.