How It Happened: The Cavaliers owned the first and third quarters, outscoring the Knicks 62-37 en route to a 117-88 opening night win at The Q. Following the ring ceremony, Cleveland raced out to an early lead and closed the first quarter on a 21-8 run while New York attempted to find a groove in its first road contest. The Knicks found that rhythm in the second frame by complete erasing the deficit to tie the game at 41-41 late in the period, fueled by a 10-0 run. Cleveland turned up the heat in the third quarter, utilizing a 13-4 run to create separation and the home team never looked back in the win. LeBron James was spectacular from the opening tip (19 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds) but Kyrie Irving closed the show by finishing with a game-high 29 points on 12-for-22 shooting from the floor.
Knick of the Night: Carmelo Anthony was cooking in the first quarter and posted 13 of his team-high 19 points in the first half. The All-Star hit 8-of-18 shots from the field, grabbed five boards, and dished out three assists in 29 minutes of work.
Notables: Kristaps Porzingis hit 3-of-5 from downtown and finished with 16 points and five rebounds. In Derrick Rose’s Knicks debut, he scored 17 points in 29 minutes.
News and Notes: Tipoff was pushed back to 7:30 PM to allow Cleveland fans to watch the ring ceremony prior to Game 1 of the World Series matchup between the Indians and the Cubs. The Cavaliers received their championship rings and raised the title banner in front of a raucous home crowd on Tuesday night.
Next Up: The Knicks will jump on a plane back to New York following the game. The team will have three days of potential practice sessions to prepare for the home opener, which is slated for Saturday night at Madison Garden where New York hosts Memphis.
Courtesy: NBA.com
