Dominant third quarter lifts Cavaliers over Knicks 109-94

CLEVELAND — The third time was a charm for the Cavaliers. After losing the first two games this season to the dreaded New York Knicks, Cleveland exacted some revenge Tuesday with a runaway 109-94 victory at Rocket Arena. The Knicks still won the season series 2-1, which might come into play in the postseason. All five starters scored in double figures for the Cavs, led by Donovan Mitchell's game-high 23 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. However, he shot just 5-for-18 from the field. Point guard James Harden added 20 points and four assists and splashed in 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Center Jarrett Allen, though, drew the praise of his teammates and coaches. He finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and one block and made 7-of-8 from the field. "He's playing out of his mind on both ends," Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. "It started before James (Harden came to the Cavs). He caught this wave. His usage went way up when Evan (Mobley) was out. He's playing great basketball." Allen said the focus of the game was the gang rebounding by the Cavs. Both teams ended with 44 rebounds. "We didn't get beat down on the boards," he said. Allen said he's playing the best basketball of his career. "The numbers don't lie," he said. "When Harden came it, it elevated my game. I'm a pretty good pick-and-roll player. He's a Hall of Fame player." Allen missed considerable time with two finger injuries earlier in the season. "I'm starting to transition back to where I was," he said. The Cavs center took his game to a new level when sidekick Mobley was sidelined with a calf injury. That's when Atkinson approached him and told him he needed to pick up the slack. "I'm like a perfect soldier," Allen said. "Tell me to do something and I'm going to blindly do it." Harden has now appeared in 35 career games against the Knicks. He's 29-6 (.829), marking the ninth-best winning percentage of any player against New York in NBA history. He is also averaging 26.2 points in those 35 games. "He has composure, calmness," Atkinson said. "He has a command of the game. He settles everyone down. He's a sharp, sharp player." The Cavs coach said adding Harden has given Cleveland a "renewed confidence." "We understand we're a better team," he said. Cleveland and New York are now tied for third in the Eastern Conference with 37-22 records. The Cavs are 13-2 over their last 15 games and have won six in a row at home. Cleveland has a 20-6 record since Dec. 29, marking the best winning percentage (.769) in the NBA over that span. They took control of the game in the third quarter when they outscored the Knicks 23-11 and held New York to 3-for-24 shooting from the field (.125). Cleveland led 83-65 after three quarters and cruised the rest of the game. Guard Jalen Brunson paced the Knicks with 20 points and four assists. Cavs forward Dean Wade harassed him most of the game and limited him to 6-of-19 attempts from the field. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.