The New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-97 on Saturday night, November 7, 2026, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, in the teams’ first meeting since New York swept Cleveland in last season’s Eastern Conference finals. Jalen Brunson scored 31 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points and 13 rebounds as the defending NBA champions won their third straight game and moved above .500 for the first time this season.

Brunson, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, took over in the second quarter, scoring 18 straight Knicks points as New York turned an early deficit into a 63-53 halftime lead. Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 37 points for Cleveland, including 21 in the fourth quarter, but the Cavaliers never got closer than eight points down the stretch.

Key Points

• Jalen Brunson scored 31 points, including 18 straight Knicks points in the second quarter.
• Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points and 13 rebounds; OG Anunoby added 15.
• Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 37 for Cleveland, 21 in the fourth quarter.
• The Knicks improved to 5-4, above .500 for the first time this season.
• Cleveland fell to 5-5 in the first meeting since the May sweep.

What Happened

Cleveland started stronger, leading 27-26 after the first quarter as Mitchell and Peyton Watson scored seven points each. Towns kept New York close with 14 points in the opening period, despite a foul 22 seconds in, while the Knicks missed 16 of their first 19 three-point attempts.

Then Brunson took the game over. With New York trailing 36-30 early in the second quarter, he scored 18 consecutive Knicks points across eight minutes, including three three-pointers, one of them a four-point play, three two-point baskets and three free throws. By halftime Brunson had 20 points, Towns had 18, and the Knicks led 63-53.

New York kept control after the break. Landry Shamet hit back-to-back three-pointers late in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 88-69, and the Knicks won the rebound battle 49-40, including 16 offensive rebounds that produced 26 second-chance points.

Mitchell scored 22 of Cleveland’s first 26 fourth-quarter points and cut the deficit to eight with under two minutes left. Evan Mobley added 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and Watson finished with 12, but the rally came too late.

The Cavaliers were also short-handed: centre Jarrett Allen missed the game with a right knee bruise, guards Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill were out, and the team was on the second night of a back-to-back. The Knicks were without Josh Hart, out with a right ankle injury.

Background: A Sweep Still Fresh in Cleveland

The Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought last season, and their path to the title ran through Cleveland. New York swept the Eastern Conference finals in four games, clinching the series 130-93 at Rocket Arena on May 25, with the final three games decided by a combined 66 points. The start of this season tested the champions: New York became the first defending champion in 15 years to drop its first three games, but the win was their fifth in six. Cleveland found the gap much the same on Saturday.

Brunson and Towns Power Knicks Past Cavaliers 109-97

Brunson and Towns combined for 60 points, and when one cooled off, the other took over. Brunson finished 12-of-25 from the field in 34 minutes, with nine assists and six rebounds. Towns grabbed 13 rebounds and added two steals, and his early scoring kept New York close. Anunoby’s 15 points gave the Knicks a third scorer in double figures.

The numbers underneath were just as telling. New York’s 16 offensive rebounds turned into 26 second-chance points, a margin Cleveland could not overcome even with Mitchell’s 37. Harden’s 2-of-9 night left the Cavaliers without a reliable second scorer.

Reactions: Brown, Towns and Brunson on the Win

Head coach Mike Brown was honest about the slow start to the season. “Going into the season … one of my concerns was, ‘Are we gonna attack this season the way we should?’ and obviously we didn’t,” he said. “That’s why we got knocked in the head, and I was OK with it because right now is the time to get knocked in the head. If you have championship pedigree — which that group does have — it’s going to wake you up.”

Brown warned that sustaining it is the challenge. “When you win games, you’re human, it’s easy to start letting go of the rope because you just start to relax, especially over an 82-game season. And now the challenge for us is, can we hold on to the rope and keep climbing a little higher?”

Towns felt the night carried echoes of last season’s title run. “We found a little bit of that magic and that pace of that team that was so magical in last year’s run,” he said. “Just fortunate that we were able to do something special tonight.”

Brunson kept the focus on the work ahead. “I think we’re in a good place,” he said. “Obviously, bounced back from our start, but just going to try to do our best to not be complacent. Continue to get better every single day.”

Why It Matters

For New York, the win is proof the slow start was a blip rather than a decline. The manner of it suggests the team that won the title is back. For Cleveland, the loss raises familiar questions: the Cavaliers were swept by this same team in May, and Saturday followed a similar pattern, with a fast start, a Brunson takeover and a late Mitchell rally that fell short. Harden’s struggles are a concern, and injuries left the roster thin.

What Happens Next

The Knicks host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, then welcome the Cavaliers to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday for the second meeting in four days. New York will hope Hart returns from his ankle injury. Cleveland, now 5-5, will monitor the injuries to Allen, Tyson and Merrill, and will need more from Harden if it is to compete with New York at full strength. Wednesday’s rematch will test whether the gap between the sides has closed at all since May.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of Knicks vs. Cavaliers on November 7, 2026?
The Knicks beat the Cavaliers 109-97 in Cleveland on Saturday, November 7, 2026.

How many points did Jalen Brunson score?
Jalen Brunson scored 31 points on 12-of-25 shooting, with nine assists and six rebounds, including 18 straight Knicks points in the second quarter.

What is the Knicks’ record after the win?
The Knicks improved to 5-4 with a third straight win; Cleveland fell to 5-5.

When do the Knicks and Cavaliers play again?
The teams meet again on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, after the Knicks host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

Who else starred for the Knicks?
Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 13 rebounds, OG Anunoby added 15, and Landry Shamet hit back-to-back threes to stretch the lead to 19.

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