The New York Knicks wore out an injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers side 109-97, the road warriors' fifth win in six games and fifth straight double-digit win over the Cavs. Four numbers stood out in the boxscore, each articulating different facets of one of the Knicks' crown jewels: their depth.

1) 26 to 8

Both teams were down a starter, with Josh Hart and Jarrett Allen each missing their second straight game with knee issues. The Cavs were also minus Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill and Nae'Qwon Tomlin, though those three probably wouldn't have had much of an impact on 16 versus 10.

That's how many offensive rebounds New York and Cleveland had, respectively. New York's work on their own glass helped them to a decisive 26-8 edge in second-chance points. The absence of their big man obviously hindered the home team on the boards, but the Knicks would point out Hart is one of their top rebounders, too, nearly matching Allen's numbers the past three seasons.

The Cavaliers were thrilled to acquire Peyton Watson, a gifted young wing, because for years that's been the hole in their donut. Allen and Evan Mobley are both technically All-Star bigs. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are surefire Hall of Famers. Watson is supposed to be the missing piece. But the loss of Allen forced them to move rookie guard Meleek Thomas, an entirely different type of player, into the starting lineup, and rely on Thomas Bryant to be their second big man. Thomas showed flashes but shot poorly, finishing -11. In 15 minutes, Bryant was -15.

Contrast that with the champs. With Hart out, the Knicks moved Landry Shamet to the starting five, a vastly different player. But Shamet isn't a rookie like Thomas, nor a fringe reserve like Bryant. Shamet was an essential Knick in last year's title run. New York's second big, Andre Drummond, was +10 in 14 minutes.

Champions and runners-up both deal with adversity, adjustments, injuries. How they respond is often the difference-maker. The Cavaliers don't have the depth to compete at a high level if a starter is out missing. The Knicks do. They showed it again in the victory.

2) 2 > 1

The Knicks led by as many as 18 in the fourth, but the Cavaliers cut it to single digits thanks to 21 in the frame from Mitchell. It was vintage Spida, driving and spinning and floating and swishing. It was also vintage Cavs, in that it was never going to be enough.

Mitchell is an All-World bucket-getter surrounded by participation trophy scorers. James Harden may have been an offense unto himself once upon a time, but at 37 he's now just another brick in the wall. Now in his sixth season, Mobley is yet to average 20 a game. At full strength they're a different team than we saw tonight, but are they that much better?

Towns scored 14 in the first for New York, followed by 18 in the second from Brunson. In the fourth, Mike Brown had the luxury of resting Brunson until the midpoint; once the captain returned, Towns was able to go to the bench for three minutes. There are a lot of reasons the Knicks were 0-4 against the Cavs in 2025 and 7-1 since. Cleveland has one scorer capable of going bananas. With two in tow, the Knicks can enjoy their banana split.

3) 12:1 vs. 4:5

If you didn't see this game, try to catch a replay of the fourth. Mitchell really was *that* good. It's a lot easier to enjoy an opponent going all nuclear meltdown when his team is down 10-plus for most of it. Mitchell finished with 13 field goals. The other Cav starters combined for 15. Brunson led the Knicks with a dozen baskets, with the other starters totaling 22.

The difference between a team with two All-NBA scorers and a team with one is striking to see unfold over a single game or an entire season. While Mitchell was clearly up for this game, he added four assists against five turnovers. That's the numbers spitting truth: Mitchell had to work so hard for what he was getting, and brilliant as it was to witness, it didn't get any of his teammates going. He was sick, but not contagious. It was one man going down firing.

Brunson and Towns combined for 12 dimes and one turnover. That's continuity. It's two stars combining to become something more than the sum of their parts. It's the square root of what separates the Knicks from the Cavaliers. There've been some great monologues over the years, but dialogue is what endures. The Knicks are a conversation. The Cavs aren't ready to talk.