Ice-cold third quarter dooms Knicks, Cavs pull away

"Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, James Harden added 20 and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away in the second half for a 109-94 victory over the Knicks on Tuesday night. Jalen Brunson had 20 points and Mikal Bridges scored 18 for the Knicks. Mitchell Robinson pulled down 15 rebounds, one off a season high."

"Cleveland had a 60-54 halftime advantage before taking control in the third quarter. They outscored the Knicks 23-11 in the period, and held the Knicks to 3-for-24 from the field. Harden had eight points in the quarter and Allen scored six."

"The Cavaliers and Knicks are both 37-22 and tied for third place in the Eastern Conference. But the Knicks would have the head-to-head tiebreaker edge if the teams are tied at the end of the season after taking two of three meetings."

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New York Knicks 109-94 on Tuesday night, with Donovan Mitchell leading the way with 23 points and James Harden contributing 20 points. The Cavaliers controlled the game in the second half, particularly the third quarter where they outscored the Knicks 23-11 while holding them to just 3-for-24 shooting. Jalen Brunson scored 20 points for the Knicks and Mikal Bridges added 18, but the Knicks' offense struggled overall, shooting 35-for-86 from the field and just 27% from three-point range. Jarrett Allen contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland. Both teams entered the game tied at 37-22 for third place in the Eastern Conference, though the Knicks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage.

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