New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers Match Player Stats On Dec 12, 2018

Rodney Hood hit the go-ahead jumper with 23.7 seconds remaining as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost a 22-point lead and escaped with a 113-106 victory over the visiting New York Knicks Wednesday night.

The Cavaliers led by 22 with 6:54 left in the second quarter but gradually let the Knicks rally. They trailed 106-105 after rookie Kevin Knox finished off a transition play with a left-handed dunk off a bounce pass from Emmanuel Mudiay with 32.5 seconds to go.

On the next possession, Hood took the inbounds pass and moved around a screen by Larry Nance Jr. He moved to his right, did a spin move and released an 11-foot turnaround shot from inside the paint while using a two-inch size advantage over 6-foot-6 Frank Ntilikina.

The Knicks had a chance to regain the lead, but Mudiay missed a contested 14-footer in the paint, and Cedi Osman grabbed the rebound. Osman made two free throws to put Cleveland up 109-106, and on the next possession Mudiay's inbounds pass intended for Enes Kanter was intercepted by Nance. With two free throws from Matthew Dellavedova, Cleveland iced its 13th win in the last 15 meetings with the Knicks.

Jordan Clarkson led all scorers with 28 points, while Hood added 23 as Cleveland shot 47.3 percent while getting outscored 75-60 over the final 30:54. Rookie Collin Sexton contributed 19, while Dellavedova added 15.

Kanter and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points apiece as the Knicks shot 43.6 percent and dropped their fifth straight game. Knox added 19 while Mudiay and Ntilikina chipped in 16 apiece.

Cleveland shot 53.6 percent and took a 39-23 lead after the first quarter. A 3-pointer by Hardaway cut it to 21-18 with 4:05 remaining, but Cleveland hit three 3-pointers and closed out the quarter with an 18-5 run as the Knicks missed seven of their last eight shots.

The Cavaliers took their first 20-point lead on a four-point play by Clarkson with about 6 1/2 minutes left in the first half, but the Knicks finished the half by making eight of their last 11 shots and were within 65-54 by halftime.

Cleveland still could not regain its double-digit lead, and a 3-pointer by Ntilikina forged an 86-86 tie with four seconds left in the third. The Knicks kept hanging around and were within 101-99 on a 13-footer in the paint by Mudiay over Sexton with 3:54 remaining before taking a brief lead in the final minute.

--Field Level Media