The New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers match player stats from February 24, 2026 tell a clear story: Cleveland 109, New York 94. Donovan Mitchell dropped 23 points, James Harden poured in 20, and Jarrett Allen put together a dominant 19-point, 10-rebound double-double as the Cavaliers pulled away in the second half to end their two-game losing streak against the Knicks this season. For New York, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 20 and 18 respectively, but shooting woes — particularly a brutal third quarter — sank the Knicks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on a Tuesday night that had serious Eastern Conference playoff seeding implications.
Table of Contents
Final Score
Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New York Knicks | 26 | 28 | 11 | 29 | 94 |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 35 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 109 |
Game Info: February 24, 2026 | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH | 7:30 PM ET | TV: MSG, Peacock
Cleveland Cavaliers Player Stats
Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Donovan Mitchell | G | 23 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5/18 | 2/8 | 11/14 | +21 |
James Harden | G | 20 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8/18 | 4/7 | 0/0 | +10 |
Jarrett Allen | C | 19 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7/8 | 0/0 | 5/7 | +11 |
Dean Wade | F | 11 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4/9 | 3/5 | 0/0 | +22 |
Dennis Schroder | G | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1/6 | 1/3 | 0/0 | +7 |
Thomas Bryant | C/F | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 1/2 | 2/2 | -4 |
Keon Ellis | G | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/3 | 0/1 | 0/0 | -7 |
Sam Merrill | G | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/4 | 0/4 | 0/0 | +13 |
Team Totals: 109 PTS | 58 REB | 23 AST | 11 STL | 6 BLK | 37/87 FG (42.5%) | 13/35 3PT (37.1%) | 22/30 FT (73.3%)
New York Knicks Player Stats
Player | POS | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG | 3PT | FT | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jalen Brunson | G | 20 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6/19 | 3/7 | 5/7 | -20 |
Mikal Bridges | G | 18 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6/17 | 1/3 | 5/6 | -11 |
Karl-Anthony Towns | C | 14 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5/5 | 1/1 | 3/4 | -9 |
Mitchell Robinson | C/F | 11 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5/6 | 0/0 | 1/4 | -4 |
OG Anunoby | F | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2/9 | 1/6 | 0/0 | -12 |
Jose Alvarado | G | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2/5 | 1/4 | 0/0 | 0 |
Mohamed Diawara | F | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/5 | 1/4 | 0/0 | -4 |
Tyler Kolek | G | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2/3 | 0/1 | 0/0 | +4 |
Landry Shamet | G | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1/5 | 0/3 | 0/0 | -22 |
Team Totals: 94 PTS | 58 REB | 23 AST | 7 STL | 8 BLK | 35/86 FG (40.7%) | 10/37 3PT (27.0%) | 14/21 FT (66.7%)
Head-to-Head Team Stats Comparison
Stat Category | Cleveland Cavaliers | New York Knicks |
|---|---|---|
Points | 109 | 94 |
Field Goal % | 42.5% | 40.7% |
3-Point % | 37.1% | 27.0% |
Free Throw % | 73.3% | 66.7% |
Total Rebounds | 58 | 58 |
Offensive Rebounds | 13 | 11 |
Assists | 23 | 23 |
Steals | 11 | 7 |
Blocks | 6 | 8 |
Turnovers | 11 | 17 |
Points Off Turnovers | 17 | 10 |
Points in Paint | 42 | 46 |
Bench Points | 24 | 27 |
Fast Break Points | 8 | 9 |
Second Chance Points | 16 | 15 |
Biggest Lead | 20 | 2 |
Offensive Rating | 111.0 | 92.8 |
Defensive Rating | 92.8 | 111.0 |
Effective FG % | 50.0% | 46.5% |
True Shooting % | 54.4% | 49.3% |
Advanced Individual Stats
Player | Team | EFF | True Shooting % | Pts/Paint | Off. Rating | Def. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jarrett Allen | CLE | 32 | 85.7% | 14 | 164.2 | 91.3 |
Dean Wade | CLE | 19 | 61.1% | 2 | 146.7 | 81.4 |
Donovan Mitchell | CLE | 19 | 47.6% | 4 | 100.3 | 90.3 |
James Harden | CLE | 10 | 55.6% | 6 | 104.2 | 105.0 |
Mitchell Robinson | NYK | 25 | 70.9% | 10 | 158.1 | 102.7 |
Karl-Anthony Towns | NYK | 22 | 103.6% | 8 | 105.6 | 108.7 |
Jalen Brunson | NYK | 8 | 45.3% | 6 | 96.0 | 120.9 |
Mikal Bridges | NYK | 13 | 45.8% | 6 | 102.2 | 109.0 |
What Happened Here: The Game Story
Going into February 24, 2026, this was the most anticipated regular season Knicks-Cavaliers matchup of the year. The two teams had already split their previous two meetings: the Knicks won on opening night and again on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden. Cleveland needed this one badly. The Cavs entered at 36-22, sitting one game behind New York’s 37-21 record in the East standings. A loss would have meant a season sweep by the Knicks.
It did not happen.
The Cavaliers dominated the first quarter 35-26 and never really let New York back into it. The Knicks clawed to within 8 at halftime, but the third quarter finished this game as a contest.
The Third Quarter Collapse
The Knicks shot 3 of 19 in the third quarter, finishing with just 11 points. That is not a typo. Per ESPN, it was the worst shooting quarter for New York since a 2018 game against the Boston Celtics. Cleveland responded with a 13-2 run straddling the third and fourth quarters. By midway through the fourth, the Cavs had pushed their lead out to 20 points at 98-78.
Brunson and Bridges were a combined 12 of 36 from the field for the night. OG Anunoby shot 2 of 9 and went 1 of 6 from three. In a game where Cleveland’s defense was dialed in, the Knicks could not find any rhythm from the perimeter, going 10 of 37 from deep (27%).
Donovan Mitchell: Built Different in Big Games
Twenty-three points on 23 minutes of pure will. Mitchell shot 5 of 18 from the floor but drew 14 free throw attempts and converted 11. He added 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in what was a two-way masterclass. His plus-minus of +21 was the highest on his team.
The number that matters most in this Cavaliers vs Knicks player comparison though? Mitchell’s efficiency in moments that count. Cleveland came into the night losers of their first two matchups with New York, and Mitchell had referenced the Christmas Day loss specifically as a benchmark.
“That was the first thing we brought up,” Mitchell said. “That’s why all year I’ve been talking about a lot of the struggles we went through. It’s kind of good to have because it’s like, you have stuff to point back to. So when you get into these situations, you have a team on the ropes, you got to finish it and get a knockout punch.”
That finishing instinct was exactly what showed up in the second half on February 24.
James Harden: The Trade Deadline Decision Pays Off
Eight games into his time as a Cavalier, James Harden dropped 20 points on 8 of 18 shooting including 4 of 7 from three. His Ringer story headline from earlier in the week talked about Cleveland looking like an “NBA Finals team.” Against the Knicks, Harden looked every bit that.
He shot 57.1% from three and gave Cleveland a second perimeter threat that New York’s defense simply could not account for alongside Mitchell. The Cavs acquired Harden from the LA Clippers ahead of the trade deadline, sending Darius Garland and a second-round pick in the deal.
The impact was immediate. Coach Kenny Atkinson was direct about it after the win: “Bringing James on has given us a renewed confidence, if that makes sense. We understand we’re a better team. That spirit, that confidence for some strange reason, it makes you play harder, compete harder defensively.”
Cleveland entered the game having won 6 of 7 since the trade.
Jarrett Allen: The Quiet Anchor
Jarrett Allen went 7 of 8 from the floor. Seven of eight. He finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double that barely gets talked about because the Harden-Mitchell narrative dominates the Cleveland Cavaliers player stats conversation right now.
Allen’s 85.7% true shooting percentage in this game was the highest of any starter on either team. He dominated the paint with 14 of his points coming from inside, and his second chance production (4 second chance points) helped Cleveland turn their offensive rebounding advantage into real scoreboard damage.
Mitchell Robinson Saved the Box Score from Being Ugly
For the Knicks, the news was not entirely bad. Mitchell Robinson was a problem Cleveland had no real answer for. He grabbed 16 rebounds, which is one off his season high, and shot 5 of 6 from the floor for 11 points. His offensive rebounding rate for the night was 47.5%, an absurd number that kept New York alive in second-chance opportunities.
The issue: Robinson’s 1 of 4 free throw shooting cost the Knicks easy points down the stretch. That has been an ongoing Achilles heel in the Knicks player performance stats this season.
Karl-Anthony Towns had a spotless shooting night on paper (5 of 5 from the field, 1 of 1 from three) but committed 5 turnovers, which Cleveland converted into 3 points. His plus-minus of -9 tells the fuller story.
Dean Wade Was the X-Factor Nobody Talks About
If you are only reading the headline stats for this Knicks Cavaliers box score, you missed Dean Wade. Eleven points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. He shot 3 of 5 from three and posted the best plus-minus on the entire court at +22. Wade was everywhere, helping swing the third quarter away from New York while Mitchell and Harden were resting.
His defensive versatility against a Knicks offense that features size at every position gave Cleveland an unexpected trump card.
Where Both Teams Stand in the East
This result pulled Cleveland into a dead tie with New York at 37-22 in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are sitting third and fourth in the East standings.
The head-to-head tiebreaker still favors New York (2-1 in the season series), which matters if the teams finish tied at the end of the regular season. But Cleveland clearly showed they are not the same team that opened the year struggling to find an identity.
The Cavaliers have now won 8 of their last 9 games. Donovan Mitchell put it plainly after the final buzzer: “We’re pretty good, but the crazy part is we’ve had two practices.” That quote from Mitchell speaks to how early this Cleveland group is in finding their ceiling with Harden in the mix.
For a deeper look at player-by-player breakdowns across every Knicks and Cavaliers matchup this season, tophillsports.org tracks the full series head-to-head data in one place.
Three Stats That Defined This Game
1. 10 of 37 from three (Knicks) Cleveland had the fourth-worst 3-point defense in the league heading into this game. New York still only made 27% from deep. That is a fundamental offensive breakdown.
2. 17 Knick turnovers vs 11 Cavalier turnovers Cleveland turned those 17 New York turnovers into 17 points. The Knicks converted just 10 off Cleveland’s 11 giveaways. A 7-point swing right there.
3. Dean Wade’s +22 plus-minus Landry Shamet was -22 for New York in the same game. That 44-point swing between two role players on either team captures exactly how the benches performed on the night.
What This Loss Means for New York
The Knicks are not in crisis. They entered February 24 as one of the hotter teams in basketball, going 7-3 in their previous 10 games. A 15-point road loss to a hot Cleveland team is not a reason to panic.
But this game did reveal real questions:
- OG Anunoby’s shooting slump (2/9, 1/6 from three) is a concern heading into the playoff stretch. He was a net negative all night.
- Jalen Brunson at 6 of 19 from the floor is not going to cut it against elite defenses. He shot 31.6% and his defensive rating in this game was 120.9, suggesting Cleveland was targeting him on that end too.
- 17 turnovers as a team is a number that should not happen against a Harden-Mitchell-led offense that converts off mistakes.
What This Win Means for Cleveland
Everything. This Cleveland vs New York game was the statement the Cavs needed. They are 21-9 since Christmas Day, the best record in the NBA in that stretch. Kenny Atkinson’s roster looks genuinely different now with Harden on the floor, and the timing heading into the playoff push is ideal.
Atkinson had been vocal about the chemistry between Mitchell and Harden: “Usually when you have that kind of synergy, it goes well. With them, I haven’t seen any misunderstandings or ‘You should have went there.’ They’ve been pretty locked in on the court and off the court.”
That chemistry showed up exactly when it needed to.
Full Knicks Cavaliers Season Series Recap
Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
Opening Night 2025 | Madison Square Garden | New York Knicks | NYK Win |
December 25, 2025 | Madison Square Garden | New York Knicks | 126-124 |
February 24, 2026 | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Cleveland Cavaliers | 109-94 |
The Knicks took the first two meetings including a tight Christmas Day win where both Brunson and Mitchell each dropped 34 points. Cleveland flipped the script at home in meeting three.
Season Series: Knicks lead 2-1
Final Takeaway
The New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers match player stats on February 24, 2026 ultimately came down to two things: Cleveland making the shots that mattered when the game was decided in the third quarter, and New York’s inability to generate consistent offense against a Cavaliers defense that was clearly dialed in for this specific game. Mitchell, Harden, and Allen carried Cleveland. Robinson kept the Knicks afloat on the boards. But 17 turnovers, 27% three-point shooting, and a 3 of 19 third quarter are numbers no team survives against a hot Cavaliers squad playing with this kind of belief.
Both teams are now 37-22. The East is wide open. And one thing is certain after Tuesday night in Cleveland: this rivalry is not over for the regular season.
