The New York Knicks got their 2025-26 season started off on the right foot on Wednesday night, taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 in a season opener between two Eastern Conference contenders. Both teams came into the game shorthanded, but the Knicks staved off a second-half push from the Cavs and pulled away with a late spurt of their own.
This was certainly an impressive win for the Knicks, who are hungry coming off of a heartbreaking loss in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers last season. However, new head coach Mike Brown thinks they can get even better.
“We got a lot of room to grow, and that's what is exciting,” Brown said, via James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.
After finishing as the No. 3 seed in the East last season and upsetting the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, the Knicks have even higher expectations coming into the season. Many people have tabbed them as a possible No. 1 seed in an Eastern Conference that has been weakened by serious injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton.
Brown knows those expectations are there, but he and his team are embracing it, via Ian Begley of SNY.
“Everyone has expectations. I don’t know if their expectations are any higher than the guys in that locker room,” Brown said. “So we’re good with that, we embrace that.”
The Knicks played on opening night without Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson, leaving them shorthanded against a big Cavs team on the front line. However, the Knicks still finished plus-16 on the glass and dominated the interior, notching 42 points in the paint to the Cavs' 30.
It was a team effort from New York in the scoring department on Wednesday night, as five Knicks scored in double figures. OG Anunoby led the way with 24 points and Jalen Brunson added 23 despite not having his best on the offensive end.
Being able to get a win like this over a very good Cavaliers team despite not playing their best basketball on either end of the floor is a great sign for a Knicks team that has championship aspirations.
