The last time the Knicks walked into Cleveland, they walked out as Eastern Conference champions. The Cavaliers were left to spend the offseason wondering how a series they thought they could win had slipped away so quickly.

Now New York is back at Rocket Arena for an 8 p.m. ET matchup Saturday on NBA TV. It’s only November, so nobody’s deciding the Eastern Conference this weekend. Still, there’s plenty here to make this more than just another regular-season game.

Think back to how that conference finals started. Cleveland led by 22 with less than eight minutes left in Game 1. Then Jalen Brunson took over. The Knicks finished the game on a 44–11 run through overtime, turning what looked like a comfortable Cavaliers win into a 115–104 loss. New York eventually finished the sweep with a 130–93 win in Cleveland.

That’s a pretty painful set of memories for Cleveland to revisit at home.

Brunson averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists in the series, and the assists are important here. The Cavaliers weren’t just getting beaten by tough jumpers. Once they sent extra attention toward Brunson, New York had other ways to make them pay.

That’s the version of the Knicks they’re still trying to find consistently.

New York’s Search for Their Best Self

They started this season 0–3, then won four of five to get back to .500. Wednesday’s 135–105 win over Chicago was their most convincing performance yet: Brunson scored 33, including 22 in the first quarter, and New York had 84 points by halftime. It’s worth noting, though, that Chicago has now lost six straight. Looking great against the Bulls is encouraging, but it doesn’t answer every question about the defending champions.

Cleveland should tell us a lot more.

Brunson against Donovan Mitchell is the obvious draw, even if this won’t be a night of the two guards taking turns defending each other. The more interesting question is how each one handles the help coming his way. Brunson can get a defender leaning and turn what looked like a solid defensive possession into a complete waste of time. Mitchell can put pressure on the rim before the defense has even finished getting organized.

And Mitchell doesn’t need to turn this into a personal scoring contest. He had 11 assists against Oklahoma City on Monday, and Cleveland will need that same willingness to find somebody else — especially when New York sends another defender at the ball.

The Frontcourt Questions

The frontcourt adds another layer to all of that. Towns can pull a big away from the basket with his shooting, which opens up space for Brunson. Cleveland can counter with James Harden and Mitchell working with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. If New York has to defend the screen, the drive, and the pass inside, there should be chances there.

Allen’s availability is a real question. He left Wednesday’s loss in Oklahoma City after a knee-to-knee collision and was listed as questionable for Friday against Philadelphia. Peyton Watson and Tyrese Proctor were also questionable for that game.

New York has their own thing to keep an eye on: Josh Hart missed Wednesday with right ankle soreness. Whether he plays matters in a matchup where the rebound after a miss could be just as valuable as the possession that created it.

That’s where I think this game could be decided if it’s close.

The Possessions Cleveland Just Can't Give Away

On Monday, Oklahoma City grabbed six offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter against Cleveland. The Cavs got none. Cleveland also went 14-for-24 from the free-throw line in a five-point loss. You can spend all night talking about defensive coverages, but those are winning chances sitting right there.

Kenny Atkinson said afterward:

Giving them second chance after second chance, it kind of demoralizes your defense.

Against Brunson, that gets expensive in a hurry. Getting him to miss once is hard enough. Giving him another possession because nobody grabbed the rebound is basically asking for trouble.

I’m taking the Knicks here. New York will have two days off while Cleveland plays Philadelphia on Friday, and I trust Brunson to organize a late possession when the easy stuff dries up.

A Knicks win would make this recovery feel a lot more meaningful than another Chicago rout.

All stats courtesy of NBA.com.

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