Cavs needed more from James Harden, supporting cast against Knicks

The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a 109-97 loss to the New York Knicks, highlighting a lack of scoring support alongside Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell scored 37 points, including 21 in the fourth quarter, but James Harden managed just seven points on 2-of-9 shooting. Harden and Evan Mobley combined for only 19 points as the Cavaliers struggled to generate offense beyond Mitchell.

Sam Amico writes that Cleveland faced challenging circumstances, including playing on back-to-back nights without Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill, and Jaylon Tyson. The Knicks capitalized with 16 offensive rebounds and 26 second-chance points, dropping the Cavaliers to a 5-5 record on the season.