Julius Randle scored 30 points, Marcus Morris Sr. added 23 and the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 123-105 on Monday night.
R.J. Barrett added 15 points and Damyean Dotson had 11 for New York.
Kevin Porter Jr. led Cleveland with 18 points. Collin Sexton and Alfonzo McKinnie each had 14.
New York Knicks' Marcus Morris Sr. (13) spins away from Cleveland Cavaliers' Jordan Clarkson (8) and Darius Garland (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoFrank Franklin II)
The Knicks scored the game’s first four points and never trailed. Randle had 15 points in the first quarter as the Knicks built two 16-point leads before settling for a 32-20 advantage at the end of the quarter.
The Cavaliers pulled within 36-31, but the Knicks followed with a 24-8 run and took a 60-39 lead on Randle’s 3-pointer with 2:26 left in the half.
Randle had 23 points at halftime as the Knicks took a 64-51 advantage into the break.
New York Knicks' Kevin Knox II, right, shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Porter Jr. during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoFrank Franklin II)
The Cavaliers never got closer. The Knicks scored the first six points of the second half and increased their lead to 90-65 on Dotson’s long jumper with 3:25 remaining in the third.
The Knicks led 94-71 after three quarters and extended their lead to a game-high 27 points on Randle’s bucket with 9:17 remaining.
Cleveland only managed to get within 16 in the game’s final minute.
New York Knicks' Frank Ntilikina (11) brings the ball upcourt during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoFrank Franklin II)
Jordan Clarkson (13), Brandon Knight (12) and Darius Garland (10) also reached double figures in points for Cleveland.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: After shooting at least 80% from the foul line in six straight games, their longest streak since 2017, the Cavaliers shot a dismal 53.3% (16 of 30). ... Kevin Love missed his first game of the season due to back tightness. Porter replaced him in the starting lineup.
New York Knicks' RJ Barrett, left, drives past Cleveland Cavaliers' Collin Sexton, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Nov. 18, 2019, in New York. (AP PhotoFrank Franklin II)
Knicks: No Knick has reached double-digit assists in a game this season. Barrett’s nine against the Bulls on November 12 is a season high for the team. ... New York did not commit a turnover in the first quarter while pressuring the Cavaliers into nine. ... The Knicks’ 10 blocks tied a season high. They also recorded 10 against Orlando on October 30.
WELCOME MAT
The Cavaliers had won their last 11 games against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the longest winning streak ever recorded by a visiting team at MSG, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. They hadn’t lost to the Knicks in New York since suffering a 117-86 blowout on January 30, 2014.
MAKING A BEILEIN TO MSG
Cavaliers first-year coach John Beilein is in his comfort zone at Madison Square Garden. His teams had won 10 straight games here, including his first game as the Cavaliers’ coach on November 10. His Michigan teams won their last nine meetings at MSG, including the Big Ten Tournament Championship in 2018. Before Monday, the last time a Beilein-led team lost at MSG was on November 21, 2008, in the 2K Sports Classic against Duke (71-56).
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Cleveland visits the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
Knicks: New York visits the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
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