Knicks no match for Cavaliers thanks to James Harden’s big night

Résumé détaillé

James Harden flipped the script on the Knicks.

It was trending in the direction this matchup has so often taken, with the Knicks looking like they’d steal another win from the Cavs with a late-game comeback. Trailing most of the night, the Knicks cut their deficit to seven points with a layup from Karl-Anthony Towns with 7:33 left in the game. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson called timeout.

The Knicks then went on a 9-2 run and tied the game with 5:35 left, as the Cavs took another timeout. It felt like another moment in which the Cavs were melting with the game on the line.

But Harden drilled a jumper to reestablish a two-point Cavs lead with 5:22 left. A minute later, he hit a 3-pointer to put the Cavs up by three with 4:22 left.

This time, it was the Knicks who wilted in crunch time, as they fell 115-107 Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden to snap their four-game winning streak.

Harden took over late and finished with 32 points, while Donovan Mitchell hurt the Knicks with 23 points.

Jalen Brunson and Towns’ own two-man effort couldn’t overcome a three-way disappearing act around them. They combined for 48 points, while the three other starters — OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart — combined for just 22 points on 7-for-20 shooting.

And that’s with Anunoby padding those numbers with nine fourth-quarter points. Through three quarters, Bridges, Anunoby and Hart had just nine points on 4-for-16 shooting.

Bridges’ waning playing time continued, as he finished with just 17 minutes — fewer than both Landry Shamet (28) and Miles McBride (27), who were far more effective.

Bridges did not play at all during the fourth quarter. It was McBride — who finished with 19 points — on the court instead down the stretch.

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