NEW YORK– The New York Knicks did not play a particularly crisp brand of basketball during their Christmas Day matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the energy of certain key role players was enough to help them gut out a 126-124 victory.
In particular, Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Kolek, and Mitchell Robinson were integral parts of the Knicks’ comeback win. Head coach Mike Brown was sure to praise the play of his bench when all was said and done. Without their contributions, it is doubtful that Jalen Brunson, who ended the contest with 34 points and four assists, would have been able to help ice the affair with 13 fourth-quarter points.
“Our bench was fantastic,” Brown told reporters after the game. “Our bench basically won the game for us.”
Jordan Clarkson kept the Knicks afloat early in the game
© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Knicks trailed 38-23 at the end of the opening quarter. Donovan Mitchell helped propel the Cavs to a fast start with 12 first-quarter points, and would end the afternoon with a team-high 34 points along with seven rebounds and six assists.
While New York’s true rally did not begin in the second quarter, Clarkson provided them with a jolt that allowed them to remain competitive. The 33-year-old veteran tallied 11 points in the second frame with the help of three 3-pointers. All told, he would finish the game with 25 points while shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 5-of-10 from distance.
Despite a strong second quarter that saw the Knicks outscore the Cavs 37-20, the beginning of the second half was not kind to New York. Darius Garland, Jaylon Tyson, and Sam Merrill, who would combine for 47 points, aided Mitchell and helped Cleveland build a 103-86 edge with just over ten minutes remaining in the quarter.
Luckily for New York, the remainder of the fourth quarter held a pleasant surprise.
Tyler Kolek and Mitchell Robinson helped engineer a fourth-quarter resurgence
While he has not had much NBA experience, Kolek has slowly carved out a unique role with Brown’s Knicks. With his team down, the 24-year-old pieced together an impactful offensive display that also included key hustle on the defensive end.
Kolek tallied 11 of his 16 total points in the fourth quarter and would conclude his day having made 5-of-9 shots from the field and 4-of-five from range. The former second-round draft pick nailed a 3-pointer that pulled New York within one point with just over two minutes left in regulation, and was sure to credit his coach.
“He coaches me hard. You want a head coach that’s on you – if he’s not, that’s more of a problem than the other way around,” Kolek said of Brown.
“When you’re a point guard, you’re an extension of the coach. If he’s trying to get his message across, he’s going to say it to you. Maybe he didn’t mean it at you, but he’s trying to get it across to everyone on the team.”
Robinson was also a vital component of the Knicks’ comeback effort. The Florida native corralled four offensive rebounds and eight total boards across the final 12 minutes, providing New York with needed second-chances that allowed them to eventually go ahead.
Such a performance was needed, given that Karl-Anthony Towns ran into foul trouble and only mustered 11 points and 14 rebounds over 27 minutes of play. When asked about how he is able to secure offensive boards, the center offered a simple response.
“My will,” Robinson said. “Go out there and fight.”
The win moves the Knicks to a 21-9 record on the season, and while fans and pundits will surely focus on the stars, the group’s bench has flexed a swagger that is hard to ignore.
“We kept fighting,” Brunson said. It starts with Tyler, J.C., and Mitch, them bringing the energy that we needed, really picked us up.”