Here they come again. Those pesky Cleveland Cavaliers. Yes, the 15-60 Cavs. Of those paltry 15 wins this season, three of them have come against the New York Knicks. Here's how:
December 18 - Cavaliers 109, Knicks 102 (OT): The Cavs underwent a stretch where they played 37 basketball games, and went 1-36. That lone victory came in overtime against the Knicks on December 18. This was back in the days of Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton and Wilson Chandler - you know, those guys who have helped the Denver Nuggets solidify a playoff spot in the vaunted Western Conference. Mo Williams, now a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, led the Cavs with 23 points and 14 assists, including six in the overtime period.
February 25 - Cavaliers 115, Knicks 109: So here was Carmelo Anthony as a Knick. Surely now, the Knicks wouldn't drop any games to teams like the lowly Cavs, right? Wrong. New York's defense, as bad as ever, allowed 115 points, including 31 by Antawn Jamison. It was only Anthony and Chauncey Billups' second game in Knicks unis, so there was the built-in "no chemistry" excuse. Surely, by the time they next played, the Knicks would be able to figure out these mystic Cavaliers.
March 4 - Cavaliers 119, Knicks 115: As if the Knicks' defense was trying to out-bad itself, the Knicks fell flat on their face on March 4, when they lost once more to the Cavaliers. This time, Cleveland put up 119 points, snapping a 26-game road losing streak in the process. The Knicks would win their next three games, but this loss acted as a crystal ball into New York's most recent skid, prior to their wins against the Orlando Magic and New Jersey Nets this past week.
Three games, three terrible, mystifying losses. Are the Cavaliers just a bad matchup for the Knicks? You wouldn't think so, given that they don't have much in the size department, and aren't a great offensive team. In fact, they average just 95 points a game, but somehow score so easily against the Knicks. The Knicks simply haven't taken their games against the Cavaliers seriously, and it will be interesting to see if the outcome is any different on Sunday.