In a pulsating season opener that embodied the grit and glamour of New York basketball, the Knicks edged out the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The victory marked the debut of new head coach Mike Brown, whose arrival this summer came after the abrupt firing of Tom Thibodeau at the end of last season, and then a shit-show of a hiring process where the Knicks asked several teams to interview their coach and were denied, and finally settled on the unemployed Brown.
OG Anunoby led the charge with a double-double of 24 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Brunson added 23 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 19 points and 11 rebounds. For the Cavaliers, it was a gritty effort marred by injuries, but Donovan Mitchell‘s 31-point explosion couldn’t quite bridge the gap.
The game arrived on the heels of a bombshell report from The Athletic earlier in the day, where former coach Thibodeau opened up about his abrupt firing at the end of last season. Thibodeau, who had guided the team to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, expressed deep hurt over the decision. “When you find out that people you helped either weren’t with you in the end or didn’t fight for you like you fought for them, that stings,” he said, revealing a sense of betrayal that lingered from his five-year tenure. The comments cast a poignant shadow over the night for some fans, who felt the man who rebuilt the Knicks’ identity had been stabbed in the back. Other fans were giddy and waxed poetic about new coach Brown.
Despite the emotional undercurrent, Brown’s Knicks showed flashes of a fresh offensive identity—quicker pace, better spacing — hallmarks of his veteran coaching style honed in Cleveland and Sacramento. Although some fans pointed out the Knicks looked exactly the same at the start of last season under Thibs.
The win wasn’t flawless; the Knicks squandered a 17-point halftime lead and weathered a furious Cavs comeback. But in the end, a decisive 14-0 run in the fourth quarter sealed it, proving the roster’s depth and resilience even without injured stars like Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart.
As the confetti settled and the Garden faithful chanted “MVP” for Brunson, the Knicks began their regular season — with a large part of the media — including Charles Barkley — predicting them to make the finals this year.
But Mike Brown teams have never done well in the playoffs — while Thibodeau’s Knicks were one of the final 3 teams playing last year (having beaten red-hot Detroit and defending champ Boston in the playoffs) and one of the final 5 teams playing the prior 2 years.
And it was that Thibs-built Defense with Thibs players like OG Anunoby that sealed this win.
“It all started with the ball pressure in the 4th quarter,” said OG Anunoby afterwards. “Deuce (McBride), Landry (Shamet), Mikal (Bridges)– they turned the ball over making it difficult and we were just picking it up, getting steals and running it out.”
“OG was a monster,” said coach Mike Brown afterwards. “14 rebounds; 24 pts on 9-17 — but he was our defensive player of the game. I think he had 6 or 7 deflections; he guarded a lot of different people; so he saw a lot of different types of players tonite. And he did a heck of a job.”
1. First Quarter Fireworks: Bridges Ignites Knicks’ Early Surge
The opening tip set the tone for a matchup between two East heavyweights, both nursing injury woes but brimming with talent. Mikal Bridges — who openly confronted Thibodeau at the end of last season about the overload of minutes he was getting — wasted no time asserting his value, draining all four of his shots for 10 points in the period.
Bridges’ seamless integration into Brown’s motion offense — emphasizing cuts and kick-outs — helped the Knicks build a commanding 33-23 lead. Anunoby chipped in with efficient scoring, while Towns flashed his versatility with a pair of threes that stretched Cleveland’s defense thin. The Cavs, missing Darius Garland and Max Strus, leaned on Mitchell’s early drives, but turnovers plagued their rhythm, allowing New York to dictate tempo from the jump.
2️⃣ in the right place at the right time 🫡
15 PTS | 4/6 3PM | 2 REB pic.twitter.com/DQkseSJfX1
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 23, 2025
2. Halftime Hammer: Knicks Build 17-Point Cushion
Momentum swung firmly toward the hosts as the second quarter unfolded. A blistering 10-0 run capped by Brunson’s crafty finishes pushed the Knicks to their largest lead of 63-46 at the break. Brown’s emphasis on ball movement shone through, with 15 assists on 24 made field goals. Anunoby’s rebounding dominance — seven boards already — neutralized Cleveland’s frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Mitchell, held to just four points in the half, looked frustrated by the Knicks’ physicality, a carryover from Thibodeau’s defensive blueprint that Brown has tweaked but not abandoned. The Garden buzzed with optimism, though whispers of Thibodeau’s morning revelations added a layer of introspection to the celebration.
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS THAT WAS FILTHY 🫣
19 PTS | 10 REB | 2 AST pic.twitter.com/26W2qTLXzU
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 23, 2025
3. Third-Quarter Thunder: Mitchell’s Onslaught Erases Lead
If the first half belonged to New York, the third was pure Cleveland chaos. Donovan Mitchell erupted for 21 points in the frame alone, his pull-up threes and hesitation drives slicing through the Knicks’ perimeter like a hot knife.
A 25-12 quarter flipped the script, putting the Cavs ahead by five entering the fourth. Mobley complemented the guard with 12 points of his own, exploiting mismatches against a depleted Knicks interior sans Robinson. Brunson struggled to match Mitchell’s ferocity, shooting 1-for-5 in the period, but Towns’ poise kept New York afloat. The swing evoked flashbacks to last season’s playoff heartbreaks, testing Brown’s in-game adjustments under the brightest lights.
4. Fourth-Quarter Fury: 14-0 Run Seals Knicks’ Comeback
With the game teetering on a knife’s edge, the Knicks summoned their championship pedigree. A thunderous 14-0 run early in the final frame—fueled by Anunoby’s transition dunks and Brunson’s clutch mid-range—reclaimed the lead for good at 102-93.
O(M)G‼️
24 PTS | 14 REB | 3 STL | 2 AST | 1 BLK pic.twitter.com/MPdcZ1tVdQ
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 23, 2025
The Garden erupted as Bridges drained a corner three to punctuate the surge, his defense on Mitchell limiting the Cavs star to just three points in the quarter. Towns’ double-double anchored the paint, while timely stops from the bench unit stifled Cleveland’s desperation heaves. Brown’s timeout huddles emphasized composure, a subtle nod to the emotional weight of the Thibodeau story hanging in the air.
5. Standout Stars: Anunoby and Towns Shine in Debuts
OG Anunoby wasn’t just a contributor; he was the game’s fulcrum, his 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting underscoring why the Knicks view him as a two-way cornerstone. Paired with 14 rebounds, his presence evoked shades of Thibodeau’s rugged forwards, but with added fluidity under Brown. Karl-Anthony Towns, in his first meaningful minutes at MSG post-trade, delivered 19 points and 11 boards, including four assists that highlighted his passing touch. Jalen Brunson, ever the floor general, overcame a cold third to orchestrate the closeout, finishing with eight dimes. For Cleveland, Mitchell’s 31 was heroic, but Mobley’s 22 couldn’t mask the absences.
6. Injury Shadows and Depth Test
The narrative of resilience rang true amid a laundry list of ailments. The Knicks, without Robinson (ankle management) and Hart (back spasms), leaned on unheralded reserves like Jordan Clarkson, who added 12 points off the pine. Cleveland’s Garland-less backcourt sputtered, with Lonzo Ball stepping up admirably but unable to fully replace the All-Star’s creation. De’Andre Hunter’s questionable knee held him out, forcing Dean Wade into extended minutes where he contributed timely threes. These absences tested both benches, but New York’s superior depth—bolstered by offseason prudence under the apron—proved the difference in a game that foreshadowed grueling Eastern battles ahead.
7. A Bittersweet Victory: Echoes of Thibodeau Linger
As the final buzzer sounded, the Knicks’ seemed on their way to another great season, yet Thibodeau’s words from The Athletic pierced the jubilation for some. The man who instilled the “toughness” mantra that carried them to 50 wins twice now watches from afar, stung by perceived disloyalty from players he elevated. Thibodeau has been seen visiting the Oklahoma and Boston training facilities in the days prior to the beginning of the season.
This win, gritty and imperfect, honors Thibodeau’s foundation while also showing some of Brown’s adjustments.
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