The Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the New York Knicks on Tuesday night in a game two showdown from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Knicks got by on the road in game one, coming away with the 101-97 win, as game two expects to be just as exciting. New York has won four of five between the two teams this season, including four in a row, though Cleveland isn’t the type to back down from a challenge this season. With Tuesday night’s slate looking loaded, this is one that fans will want to be sure to tune in for.

Knicks Eyeing 2-0 Start
After springing the upset in game one over the weekend, New York has their eyes locked on getting off to a 2-0 start in this Eastern Conference showdown. In the first game, it took everything for them to grab the win and making that happen for the second-straight game could be a challenge. They have quite a bit of confidence considering their success against Cleveland this season, including having won the last two against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. New York has a winning record in road games this season anyway and with having already won a road game in this series, will be playing with house money in a way on Tuesday night. A 2-0 start would set the tone in a big way coming back to New York and they have the talent to make that happen.
New York is likely to be without Josh Hart (ankle), who is doubtful for this one, which is likely to be a notable absence. With a trio of other bench players out as well, depth could be an issue for game two, especially as they hit the road.

The first game saw the Knicks get great production from their stars but after Hart put together a double-double, they’ll be searching for a way to replicate that scoring. Cleveland’s defense was one of the best this season and even though New York hasn’t been the most efficient, they will be looking to lean on Julius Randle to lead the way. Fidning success from three-point range is a likely avenue for them to find success in the rematch, while they have the size in the frontcourt to make things interesting as well. On the defensive end, they’ll like their chances to make things difficult for the Cavs for the second-straight game but they’ll need to make sure to put the pressure on Cleveland’s backcourt. Jalen Brunson is likely to be the x-factor in this one on both ends and after putting up 27 points in the opener, while look to exploit that matchup again.

Cavs In Crucial Spot
After losing at home over the weekend, Cleveland knows that they can’t afford to go down 0-2 as they head to New York for the road portion of the series. Despite being the higher seed, they’ve struggled against the Knicks this season, having only won one of their five meetings. With one of the best records in the league at home, they’ll be confident that they can bounce back on Tuesday night, though it certainly won’t come easy. Not only do they need to be stronger in the frontcourt but they need some more scoring, after only seeing three players score in double-figures in game one. This team has talent and depth but they need to make sure to put together a complete performance or else they’ll really have their backs against the wall the rest of the series.
Another advantage for Cleveland has been their ability to stay healthy this season. While New York navigates being without one of their two-best players, the Cavs will only be without a bench player. Dylan Windler (foot) has been ruled out but his absence shouldn’t have an impact on how this one goes.

Cleveland has the top scorer in the series when it comes to Donovan Mitchell, who had 38 points in the opener, though the rest of the team struggled to help him out. The bench will need to be stronger in Tuesday’s rematch and they’ll need to find a way to get the frontcourt far more involved. Efficient scoring hasn’t been an issue this season but the lack of tempo has kept their own scoring down. With one of the league’s best defenses, they need to make sure to keep the Knicks in check or else they could struggle again to keep pace.