The retooled Knicks have looked more cohesive since getting destroyed by the Celtics on Opening Night, but they only have split a pair in their next two games against recent Eastern Conference playoff foes.

The Knicks flushed a 13-point third-quarter lead Monday night to Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers, and they lost for the second time in three games to start the season, 110-104, at the Garden.

“I thought it was honestly just a weird game from start to finish. It was kind of a grind-it-out game,” Jalen Brunson said afterward. “[We] had a 13-point lead and then let it slip away.

“It’s no excuse. We’ve got to play our best basketball in the fourth quarter and we didn’t tonight.”

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks on during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

The Knicks at least appeared to survive a third-quarter injury scare involving Brunson, but perhaps not with Josh Hart, who limped off the court late in the game.

Hart was questionable to play due to an ankle issue, and he scored 16 with 13 rebounds before limping to the locker room late in the fourth quarter, shortly after a mid-court collision with Cleveland’s Caris LeVert.

“Of course, anybody that doesn’t finish the game it’s hard to see and you want your brothers out there finishing the game with you,” Brunson said when asked about Hart. “I mean, we’ll see. Don’t know what’s the situation, but we’ll see going forward.”

Brunson came up limping following a floater in the lane late in the third quarter and briefly headed for the locker room. But he returned to the bench before the period ended and checked back into the game early in the fourth before finishing with a team-high 21 points — albeit on 8-for-24 shooting — with six assists.

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives around Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang (20) during the first half at Madison Square Garden, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

“I just got hit. That’s all. I’m all good,” Brunson said, before he was asked about Hart.

Darius Garland netted 15 of his 34 points in the fourth, and Mitchell finished with 24 or the unbeaten Cavaliers(4-0).

Mikal Bridges scored 19 while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 13 points (on only eight shot attempts) and 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who will play in Miami on Wednesday.

Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) during the first half at Madison Square Garden, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

“We just missed some shots and gave up some easy ones in transition. That hurt us,” said Tom Thibodeau, whose team attempted only 28 3-pointers and made just nine. We have to generate more.”

The Knicks missed their first seven attempts from 3-point range and trailed by nine in the first quarter, before Cam Payne and Towns connected from long distance in the final 2:07 to help cut the deficit to 22-18 through one.

Payne drained another trey earlier in the second to pull the Knicks within one, and a 9-0 run culminated by a 3-pointer and an inside bucket from Hart gave them a 36-31 lead at midway through the quarter.

Knicks guard Josh Hart stretches after he is fouled hard during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

A dunk by Bridges and a free throw by Brunson extended the Knicks’ cushion to 10, their largest of the half, with under three minutes to play before the Cavaliers trimmed the score to 52-45 at intermission.

The Knicks led by as many as 13 in the third on OG Anunoby’s 3-pointer with 4:29 to play, but two straight close-range baskets by Garland triggered a 13-2 Cleveland run for a 74-72 game with less than one minute remaining in the period.

The Cavaliers tied it in the opening minute of the fourth on inside makes by Evan Mobley and Mitchell, prompting Thibodeau to call a timeout.

Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley dunks in front of Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns during the second half at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 29, 2024. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

Brunson came back onto the floor after the stoppage, but threes by Georges Niang and Mitchell gave the Cavaliers an 84-80 advantage with 9:50 left.

Hart helped the Knicks even matters again, however, with two free throws following a hard foul by Niang and then a steal and feed to McBride for a game-tying layup.

But Garland buried two more 3-pointers around an offensive foul called against Knicks rookie Ariel Hukporti on a would-be dunk for a 99-91 Cleveland lead with 3:51 remaining. Brunson netted five points to pull the Knicks back within three at 1:41, but they got no closer.

“They’ve got the size at the rim. I want to take a look at the film, but I thought they were pretty physical. I think that’s the way it’s going to be this year,” Thibodeau said. “So we’ve just got to focus on making the shot or making the play.”