Cleveland Cavaliers vs Knicks Match Player Stats (Feb 24, 2026)

Cleveland Cavaliers 109, New York Knicks 94 | February 24, 2026 | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland

The Cleveland Cavaliers vs Knicks match player stats tell a story of total control from tip to buzzer. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, James Harden added 20, and Jarrett Allen posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Cavs put the Knicks away 109 to 94 on their home floor. New York’s Jalen Brunson topped the visitors with 20 points, but he needed 19 shots to get there, and Cleveland’s defense made sure it never got comfortable.

Box Score Breakdown: Quarter-by-Quarter

Cleveland jumped out fast and held the lead in every quarter except the second, where New York briefly tightened the gap. The third quarter is where this game was decided, a 23 to 11 run for the Cavs that broke the Knicks’ spine completely.

The Q3 differential of 12 points is the number that defines this game. New York came in trailing by seven at halftime, had a path back in, and the Cavs simply slammed the door shut.

Cleveland Cavaliers Player Stats

Here is every key contributor from the Cavs side, with full numbers across all the categories that matter.

Cavaliers Starters

Cavaliers Bench

Mitchell, Harden and Allen: The Three Pillars

Donovan Mitchell came in with a rough shooting night from the field, going 5 of 18, but his ability to draw fouls kept him relevant on the scoreboard. He converted 11 of 14 free throws and added three steals on the defensive end. Mitchell is Cleveland’s engine, and even on off nights from deep, he finds ways to impact the game.

James Harden was arguably the best two-way performer in this one. He went 8 of 18 from the field and a very clean 4 of 7 from three, which is exactly the kind of floor spacing the Cavs need around Mitchell. Four assists against three turnovers is acceptable playmaking volume.

Jarrett Allen was virtually unstoppable inside. His 7 of 8 from the field, all twos, gave Cleveland consistent interior production. Ten rebounds and two blocks rounded out one of the cleaner double-double performances you will see from a center this season.

Dean Wade had his fingerprints all over the third quarter surge. Three steals, three assists, eight boards, and three made threes in a 4 of 9 shooting night. The plus-22 was the best on the floor for either team. Wade is one of those guys who just does everything right in wins.

New York Knicks Player Stats

Knicks Starters

Knicks Bench

The Knicks’ Numbers That Hurt

Jalen Brunson shot 6 of 19 from the field for 20 points. That is a 31.6 percent shooting night for the Knicks’ most important player. He drew five fouls and hit five of seven from the line, but that volume of misses in this building cost New York real momentum, especially in the third quarter when they needed baskets in bunches.

Karl-Anthony Towns had a bizarre night statistically. He shot a perfect 5 of 5 from the field and went 5 of 5 on two-point attempts, yet committed five turnovers that directly led to Cavaliers points. Those possessions cannot be given away on the road against a defense as sharp as Cleveland’s.

Mitchell Robinson off the bench pulled 16 rebounds including eight offensive boards, which is genuinely remarkable. The issue is that he converted just 1 of 4 free throws, went minus-4, and his team still lost by 15. Production without wins.

Landry Shamet finished with a minus-22, which was the worst rating on either roster. Three turnovers in limited minutes. He did not help New York’s cause.

Team Stats Comparison: The Full Picture

Beyond individual numbers, the team-level stats reveal exactly why this game was never really in doubt after halftime.

Three-point shooting was the sharpest dividing line. Cleveland hit 13 of 35 from deep at 37.1 percent. New York went just 10 of 37 at 27.0 percent. On a night when the Knicks’ stars were struggling to manufacture consistent offense, they could not lean on the three-ball either.

The turnover gap is the other headline. Seventeen turnovers for New York versus eleven for Cleveland. The Cavs converted those gifts into 17 points off turnovers, while the Knicks managed just 10 from Cleveland’s mistakes. That seven-point swing off careless possessions is another piece of the 15-point margin explained.

Advanced Stats Snapshot

An offensive rating of 111.0 against a team with New York’s defensive talent is a strong performance. Cleveland was getting quality looks and converting them at an acceptable clip, while holding New York to a 92.8 offensive rating that tells you the Cavs defense was properly locked in.

Game Context: What Was at Stake

This game came at a critical point in the Eastern Conference standings race. Both the Cavaliers and Knicks were in the thick of the playoff picture, and a home win for Cleveland did exactly what they needed, adding a quality win against a conference rival.

The Cavs entered this matchup having dropped to Oklahoma City two days prior, 121-113. Bouncing back with a performance this convincing, at home, against one of the East’s legitimate contenders, sends a message about how this team responds to setbacks.

For the Knicks, this loss came on the road and was part of a stretch where their turnover issues and three-point inconsistency were real concerns. Head coach Tom Thibodeau’s teams are built on defensive toughness, and surrendering a 35 to 26 first quarter on the road is not the template New York wants.

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Shooting Zones: Where Shots Came From

Cleveland’s interior efficiency was notable. The Cavs made 12 of 28 attempts at the rim and converted 3 of 6 mid-range looks. They spread the floor well with 13 made threes that kept New York’s defense constantly making decisions.

New York was actually more efficient at the rim at 60.9 percent, but it did not have nearly enough rim attempts (23 compared to Cleveland’s 28) to overcome the three-point gap. The Knicks were ice cold from mid-range at 25 percent, which made their offense one-dimensional in the second half.

Second Chance and Bench Production

The bench numbers were remarkably close, with New York’s reserves actually outscoring Cleveland’s 27 to 24. Mitchell Robinson’s 11 points and 16 rebounds off the bench were extraordinary on paper. But the starters’ production gap, led by Mitchell, Harden, and Allen, is where Cleveland built the separation.

The Third Quarter: Where It Was Won

Cleveland’s 23-11 run in the third quarter deserves its own attention. At halftime, this was a 60-54 Cavaliers lead. Manageable for New York. Then the third quarter happened.

Dean Wade was everywhere during those 12 minutes. His three-point shooting stretched the floor, his steals created transition opportunities, and his rebounding kept possessions alive. Mitchell and Harden tightened their decision-making, and Cleveland’s defense held Brunson and Bridges to a combined three points in the period.

The 12-point third quarter swing is the clearest single-period explanation for the final margin. New York’s offense was completely stalled while Cleveland was converting both half court sets and transition chances.

Key Takeaways From the Cleveland Cavaliers vs Knicks Match Player Stats

Breaking down what actually mattered:

• Mitchell still makes his mark even when his field goal percentage dips. His free throw volume, three steals, and leadership in the third quarter kept Cleveland’s offense running through his gravity.
• Harden as a Cavalier is working. A 4 of 7 night from three at this stage of his career, combined with four assists, shows he still has real value as a floor spacer and secondary creator.
• Allen’s interior dominance is one of the quieter storylines of Cleveland’s season. His 87.5 percent field goal percentage here is not unusual for him.
• Dean Wade’s plus-22 on a night like this is the kind of contribution that often goes unnoticed in final score discussions but shows up clearly in the film.
• Turnovers cost the Knicks the game. Seventeen turnovers against this defense, on the road, is a recipe for a loss. KAT’s five turnovers alone were damaging enough given how easily Cleveland was converting them.
• New York’s three-point shooting is a red flag. At 27 percent from deep on 37 attempts, the Knicks are asking their players to carry too much mid-range and isolation volume when those shots are not falling.

What This Means Going Forward

For Cleveland, this is exactly the type of win that builds playoff confidence. Doing it at home, against a legitimate East rival, while coming off a loss to Oklahoma City, shows mental toughness in a 48-game season. The Cavs’ defensive rating of 92.8 in this game is the kind of number that earns respect across the league.

For New York, the focus has to shift to ball security. Seventeen turnovers is not something a championship-caliber roster should be putting on the board in a game of this magnitude. Brunson’s 31.6 percent shooting night on 19 attempts is also something worth monitoring. When the Knicks are on, he can get to his spots freely. Cleveland’s guards, particularly Mitchell and Schroder, made it a fight every single possession.

The Eastern Conference race remains genuinely compelling, and results like this one shift the picture. Cleveland has the defense and now clearly the offensive versatility with Harden aboard to be taken seriously all the way through the postseason.

Final Score Recap

Cleveland Cavaliers 109, New York Knicks 94

The cleveland cavaliers vs knicks match player stats from February 24, 2026 confirm what the scoreboard showed: this was a Cavs performance built on defensive intensity, three-point shooting efficiency, and the kind of third quarter surge that wins road-proof, complete-game basketball. Mitchell’s 23 points set the tone, Harden’s marksmanship from deep gave Cleveland spacing, and Allen’s near-perfect shooting in the paint made life impossible for a Knicks defense that was already being stretched thin.