Jalen Brunson collected 31 points and nine assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 13 rebounds as the visiting New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-97 on Saturday night.
Brunson scored 18 straight New York points in the second quarter as defending champion New York moved above .500 for the first time this season. The reigning NBA Finals MVP made three 3-pointers and had six rebounds in 34 strong minutes.
OG Anunoby added 15 points for the Knicks, who have won three straight and five of their last six games. It was New York’s first appearance in Cleveland since completing a four-game sweep of the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals in May.
Donovan Mitchell erupted for 21 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth, but Cleveland never got closer than eight points. Evan Mobley had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Peyton Watson chipped in 12 points.
Landry Shamet drained a 3-pointer late in the third to give the Knicks the largest lead of the evening at 88-69.
Brunson’s second-quarter outburst included three 3-pointers — one of them a four-point play — three two-point baskets and three free throws during an eight-minute span. New York trailed 36-30 early in the period but went into halftime ahead 63-53.
In the first half, Brunson had 20 points and four assists, and Towns posted 18 points and six rebounds. Mitchell paced Cleveland with 11 points and Riley Minix had eight points in six minutes after being re-signed earlier in the day.
Towns came out flying with 14 points and four rebounds in the first quarter, but the Cavaliers held a 27-26 lead. Mitchell and Watson had seven points apiece and rookie Meleek Thomas made a pair of 3-pointers for Cleveland.
The Cavaliers were without center Jarrett Allen (right knee bruise), who absorbed a knee-on-knee hit from Thunder guard Jared McCain on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. Guards Jaylon Tyson (right ankle sprain) and Sam Merrill (right elbow) also missed the game.
Knicks forward Josh Hart (right ankle) missed his second straight game.
