The Cavaliers are on their second stop of a three-game road trip when they face the reigning champion New York Knicks.

Cleveland is coming off a horrifying loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, 124-112, a matchup where they trailed by 33 points in the third quarter against the worst offense in basketball.

This will be the back end of a home-and-home back-to-back for New York, who blew out Milwaukee on Tuesday, 117-85. The Knicks just beat the Cavaliers over the weekend on Saturday, 109-97 in Cleveland. After last year’s Eastern Conference Finals sweep, the Knicks have full confidence in this Cavaliers team.

Reigning Champs Finding Their Groove

After a 0-3 start to the season, the Knicks have been on a terrific groove, winning six of their last seven games.

Over that stretch, New York has the best offense in the NBA, reminiscent of their incredible run to the championship last spring. They also have the fifth-ranked defense in the league for the entire season.

2026 NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson has been on fire the last week, putting up 28.0 points per game over his last six. That includes a 31-point masterpiece against the Cavs last Saturday. The 30-year-old Brunson has continued to prove that no matter how good a defense may play, there is no true answer to stopping him.

Karl-Anthony Towns is having a strong campaign as well. In the 2026 playoffs, the Knicks soared when Towns became the primary initiator of offense at the top of the key.

With KAT looking to facilitate more, his numbers decreased in the playoffs, but that did not tell the full story.

Through ten games this year, Towns is averaging 20.9 points and a league-leading 13.8 rebounds, shooting 54% from the field and 40% from downtown.

One of the bigger disappointments of the season has been the offensive play of Mikal Bridges. The 30-year-old wing is putting up just 6.3 points per game, on horrendous efficiency. But Bridges continues to bring the perimeter defense that has made him such a valuable player. Wednesday night’s game will mark his 649th consecutive game, by far the most in the NBA.

What To Expect Tonight

With Cleveland, you would hope that they show a lot more fight in this one. They had a disappointing showing in Monday’s Hornets game, which has caused a ton of questions, such as: Should Kenny Atkinson be fired? Will Cleveland explore Jarrett Allen trades? Are the Cavs stuck?

If they can get a victory in MSG against the champs, that could quiet the chatter for a little while. Although the Cavs are back in the house of horrors from last season

Although things seem dire, this is the same Cavaliers team that just put a beatdown on the almighty Philadelphia 76ers less than one week ago. On any given night, the Cavs have the talent to get the job done. They gave the necessary effort against this Knicks team on Saturday. It’s all about the little things.

It all starts with Donovan Mitchell back in his hometown. Can he set the tone for Cleveland and get them back on track? If Mitchell comes out strong, he can help his teammates get involved from there.

Injury Report

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Jaylon Tyson (Ankle) - Game-Time Decision
• Sam Merrill (Elbow) - Out
• Nae’Qwan Tomlin (Back) - Out
• Khalifa Diop (Knee) - Out

New York Knicks

• Karl-Anthony Towns (Calf) - Game-Time Decision
• Josh Hart (Illness) - Game-Time Decision

Projected Starting Lineup

Cleveland Cavaliers - James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

New York Knicks - Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns

Jerseys

Cleveland Cavaliers - Statement (Black)

New York Knicks - Association (White)

How to Watch and Listen

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 11

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York

TV: ESPN