NEW YORK – The Knicks started off the Mike Brown era with a win. It wasn’t always easy and the Cavaliers threatened, but the Knicks ultimately escaped with a 119-111 victory in a season-opening victory at Madison Square Garden Oct. 22.

New York spent all of Wednesday hounding Cleveland’s ballhandlers in the backcourt. The Knicks alternated who was at the point of attack. They threw different looks. The Knicks wanted to make their opponent work for what it wanted, to be on the front foot, as opposed to reacting.

With all the Cleveland Cavaliers talk centred around injuries to the starters and how the role players are shouldering the responsibility, one player is quietly

Cleveland faces early adversity as injuries test the Cavaliers ahead of their season opener against the Knicks.

The Knicks and Cavaliers figure to jockey for home-court advantage throughout the season. New York struck first in teams' season opener.

Last season, Cleveland swept the season series and finished 13 games ahead of New York. But the Knicks controlled the 2025-26 opener at Madison Square Garden for about 40 of the 48 minutes, finishing strong and holding on for a 119-111 victory on Wednesday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers face the New York Knicks in a regular season NBA game on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025 (10/22/25) at Madison Square Garden.

The Cavs and Knicks are expected to be two of the top contenders in the East, though neither is ready to look like it yet.

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was not shy about why his team fell to the New York Knicks in the season opener 119-111.

Both the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers may be without multiple key players in Wednesday night's Eastern Conference showdown.