Knicks and Cavaliers Set for Midwest Battle
The New York Knicks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Friday night.

The Knicks (44-33) are firmly in the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference for the moment and head into Friday's contest having won two straight games. Their most recent success came Wednesday night, when they handed the Miami Heat a 101-92 loss. Immanuel Quickley led the way with 24 points, adding four assists, one rebound and three steals. Quentin Grimes supplied 23 points, eight boards, four assists and one steal. Josh Hart pitched in 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson generated matching 12-point contributions while recording five and two rebounds, respectively.

The Knicks will list Derrick Rose (illness) as questionable for Friday's game. DaQuan Jeffries (calf), Julius Randle (ankle) and Duane Washington (hip) will remain out.

The Cavaliers (48-29) have clinched a playoff berth and are relatively secure in their No. 4 slotting at the moment, but they'll head into Friday's game having dropped a narrow120-118 decision to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 44 points, complementing them with five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Darius Garland furnished 27 points, five assists, two rebounds and one block. Evan Mobley generated a 20-point, 15-rebound double-double that included six assists, four blocks and one steal.

The Cavaliers will list Dean Wade (illness), Raul Neto (hamstring) and Jarrett Allen (groin) as questionable for Friday's game. Isaac Okoro (knee) and Danny Green (COVID-19 protocols) will remain out.

Friday's game marks the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season. The Knicks hold a 2-1 series lead.
Posted on: 3/30/2023 10:01 PM