Cavaliers Beat Knicks 115-107 as Harden Drops Season-High 32 at the Garden

James Harden turned back the clock at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. The 37-year-old former MVP scored a season-high 32 points, Donovan Mitchell added 23, and the Cleveland Cavaliers upset the reigning champion New York Knicks 115-107 in a game decided by a furious fourth-quarter rally and a chase-down block in the final minute.

The win was Cleveland's biggest of the young season. It lifted the Cavaliers to 6-6, moved them to sixth in the Eastern Conference, one spot behind the Knicks, and answered a week of criticism after losing to New York and an undermanned Charlotte team.

Key Points

• James Harden scored a season-high 32 points and Donovan Mitchell added 23 as Cleveland won 115-107 at Madison Square Garden.
• Tyrese Proctor came off the bench for a season-best 15 points, shooting 6-of-12 with three three-pointers in 23 minutes.
• New York erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit with a 16-7 run to tie the game at 99-99, before Harden scored five straight Cleveland points and set up Evan Mobley in an 11-4 run.
• Peyton Watson sealed the win with a chase-down block on Miles McBride in the final 40.9 seconds, one of his four blocks, while Jarrett Allen added an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double.
• Jalen Brunson top-scored for New York with 27 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, as the Knicks fell to 6-5.

What Happened

Cleveland led by as much as nine points three minutes into the fourth quarter, and for a while the upset looked comfortable. Then Madison Square Garden erupted. New York responded with a scintillating 16-7 run to tie the scores at 99-99 midway through the period, and the defending champions had all the momentum.

That was when Harden took the game over. The veteran guard scored five straight Cleveland points, including a big triple, and assisted Evan Mobley to charge an 11-4 Cavaliers run that put the visitors back in front for good. It was a big response in a building where Harden once scored 61 points, days after a video of his questionable defence in the shock loss to the Hornets went viral.

The closing seconds belonged to Peyton Watson. He missed a potential dagger three-pointer in the final 40.9 seconds but followed it up with an epic chase-down block on Miles McBride to seal the Cleveland victory, one of four Watson blocks on the night. Jarrett Allen added an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double.

Background and Context

This was a quick rematch with a recent history. Only four days earlier, the Knicks had beaten the Cavaliers 109-97, with Brunson scoring 31 points in the first meeting between the sides since New York swept Cleveland in last season's Eastern Conference finals. That defeat, followed by the loss to an undermanned Charlotte team in which Harden managed just 11 points, had left Cleveland at 5-6 and facing awkward questions.

New York, meanwhile, had recovered well from a difficult start of its own. The Knicks began the season 0-3, the first defending champion in 15 years to drop its first three games, but had won six of their next seven before Wednesday, including the 117-85 rout of Milwaukee in which Towns extended his double-double streak to 14 games. At 6-5, they remain firmly in the mix, but losing at home to a side they had beaten days earlier will sting.

Cavaliers Beat Knicks 115-107: Harden's Vintage Night at the Garden

Harden's 32 points were his best return of the season, and the timing mattered as much as the total. He did his damage when the game was in the balance, steadying Cleveland after the Knicks had wiped out the lead and closing the door with vintage shot-making. Mitchell's 23 points gave him the reliable second option every road win needs.

But the night's surprise came from the bench. Tyrese Proctor, the 22-year-old Australian guard, lit up for a season-best 15 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the field with three three-pointers, three rebounds and an assist in 23 minutes. His minutes have risen to 16.5 per game this season from 10.9 as a rookie, and Wednesday showed head coach Kenny Atkinson's trust is paying off. It was also a defensive statement: Watson's four blocks and Allen's work on the glass held New York to 107 points at home.

Reactions and Takeaways

No post-game quotes were available, but the numbers tell the story. Cleveland's bench outplayed New York's reserves when it mattered, with Proctor's 15 points arriving in the same stretch that kept the Cavaliers afloat while the starters rested. The Knicks' stars did their part, with Brunson scoring 27 and Towns one assist short of a triple-double, yet New York still came up short, a reminder that even a champion needs its supporting cast to fire.

Why It Matters

The result tightens the early Eastern Conference race and hands Cleveland a head-to-head win it badly needed. The Cavaliers sit sixth, one spot behind the Knicks, and having beaten the champions on their own floor gives them a tiebreaker edge and a confidence boost that a home win never could. It also quiets, for now, the questions that followed the Charlotte defeat.

For the Knicks, it is a reminder that the target on a champion's back is real. New York's 6-5 record is still healthy, but the East is crowded, and home losses to direct rivals matter in April.

What Happens Next

The Cavaliers visit Miami on Saturday before a four-game home stand, a stretch that now looks like a real chance to build momentum above .500 for the first time this season. The Knicks travel to Indiana on the same day to begin a four-game away trip, where they will look to steady themselves on the road before returning to the Garden. The sides meet again later in the season, with the rivalry now carrying a fresh edge.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score between the Cavaliers and the Knicks?
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks 115-107 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.

How many points did James Harden score?
Harden scored a season-high 32 points, with Donovan Mitchell adding 23 for Cleveland.

Who else starred for Cleveland?
Tyrese Proctor scored a season-best 15 points off the bench, Jarrett Allen had 11 points and 14 rebounds, and Peyton Watson had four blocks, including a game-sealing chase-down block on Miles McBride.

What are the records of the two teams now?
Cleveland improved to 6-6 and sits sixth in the Eastern Conference, one spot behind New York, which fell to 6-5.

When did the Knicks last beat the Cavaliers?
New York beat Cleveland 109-97 just four days earlier, on November 8, with Jalen Brunson scoring 31 points.

Read more on the rivalry: Knicks beat Cavaliers 109-97 as Brunson scores 31, Cavaliers beat 76ers 119-95 in LeBron James' Cleveland homecoming and Knicks rout Bucks 117-85 as Towns extends double-double streak.