The Cleveland Cavaliers left Madison Square Garden with a 115-107 win over the New York Knicks, built on early control and a sharp closing stretch. The visitors owned the first quarter 33-23, rode out New York’s midgame push, then finished with a 33-31 fourth period to seal it. Cleveland spent 42:42 in front and led by as many as 12, while New York’s biggest edge was just two. It was a high-attendance night too, with 19,812 in the building watching a physical, playoff-style game. For the full box score, player breakdowns and live momentum chart, visit the game page on Sofascore.

Fast start belongs to Cleveland, and it set the tone

Cleveland’s opening frame did the heavy lifting. A 33-23 first quarter gave the Cavs a cushion and, more importantly, control of tempo. They hit 61% from the field in that stretch and were plus-four on the glass. New York tried to answer with an 11-0 burst later in the game, which stood as the longest run of the night. Still, Cleveland never ceded the scoreboard for long.

The lead data backs it up. The Cavs’ biggest advantage reached 12, and they were ahead for all but 2:35 of game time. New York’s offense flowed better as the night went on, yet the hosts kept chasing. When the fourth quarter arrived, Cleveland again grabbed the period early and never looked back. That frame alone had the Cavs up for 10:59, a snapshot of how the contest finished.

Shooting profile: free throws and threes tip the balance

New York actually made more field goals, going 41 of 83 for 49%, compared to Cleveland’s 40 of 85 for 47%. The difference lived at the line and beyond the arc. Cleveland sank 20 of 25 free throws, while New York was perfect but limited at 11 of 11. That nine-point gap from the stripe matched the final margin story.

From deep, the Cavs added another small edge, hitting 15 threes at 39% against the Knicks’ 14 at 35%. New York was excellent on twos at 61% and finished with 33 assists, eight more than the Cavs, which usually wins you games. But the visitors’ shot diet was balanced, their stars drew fouls, and they cashed them. Combine that with timely threes and the math leaned Cleveland.

Boards and rim protection: Cavs win the dirty work

The battle on the glass swung this matchup. Cleveland outrebounded New York 40-34 and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to 7, extending possessions and feeding their free-throw volume. Jarrett Allen’s 14 boards anchored the paint and his presence mattered late. The Knicks had 27 defensive rebounds but struggled to finish the stops when it counted.

Rim protection was another decisive category. The Cavs posted 9 blocks to the Knicks’ 4 and added 8 steals to New York’s 5. Peyton Watson’s four blocks were tone-setters, while Allen added another rejection. Those events don’t just look good on a highlight reel. They trim efficiency, flip possessions and cool off runs, which is exactly what Cleveland needed against a pass-happy Knicks offense.

Star turns and supporting punches

James Harden headlined the night with 32 points on 9 of 14 shooting, splashing 5 threes and going 9 of 11 at the line. He earned a Sofascore Rating of 8.5, the top mark in the game. Donovan Mitchell supplied a complete line of 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, good for a Sofascore Rating of 8.0. Allen put up an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double with a 7.7 Sofascore Rating that reflected his control of the paint.

The Cavs’ bench delivered timely scoring too. Meleek Thomas added 14 on 6 of 11 shooting and Tyrese Proctor chipped in 15 with three triples. Those 29 combined bench points helped Cleveland answer every Knicks surge. For New York, Jalen Brunson worked tirelessly for 27 points on 52% shooting and a 7.5 Sofascore Rating. Karl-Anthony Towns mixed scoring and facilitation with 21 points, 11 boards and 8 assists, earning an 8.3 Sofascore Rating. Miles McBride gave a spark with 19 and five made threes, while OG Anunoby had 14 and steady defense.