The Knicks are on the road Sunday night, which probably isn’t the worst thing in the world after suffering a 1-3 homestand.
They travel to northern Ohio and make a quick stop against the Cavaliers before returning home for four straight games.
The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers in the first round last season for the first time in five games, so this will be a rematch in the playoffs.
But while Cleveland has taken a big step toward moving into first place in the Central Division, the Knicks are looking to battle Philadelphia for second place in the Atlantic Division.
The Knicks have stumbled through February, losing eight of their past 11 games, ending with double-digit losses to the Pelicans and Warriors.
To make matters worse, New York hasn’t performed well against the point spread over this period.
The Knicks made 1 of 11 attempts in a blowout win against Philadelphia just after the All-Star break.
Cleveland beat the Pistons 110-100 on Friday as a seven-point favorite, ending their winning streak at seven despite not being able to cover the deficit.
The Cavs haven’t had a great record in the division lately, but they’ve been winning games and are tied with Milwaukee atop the Central with a 21-6 record since the beginning of January.
Cleveland star guard Donovan Mitchell missed the win against Detroit, but Darius Garland led the way with 29 points.
The teams have split two matchups this season.
On Halloween night, the Knicks won 109-91 in Cleveland, led by Jalen Brunson with 19 points.
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The next night at Madison Square Garden, the Cavs outscored Mitchell by 30 points and won 95-89.
The Knicks are 7-1 and are under the under, but New York and Cleveland have combined to reach the under in seven straight games.
It’s hard to ignore the low-scoring games these teams are used to playing, and Sunday night should be no exception.
play: Knicks vs. Cavaliers under 212.5.
Kevin Rogers analyzes the NBA for Action network.
