Cleveland @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 29, 2017 ) New York 114, Cleveland 95

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not notched consecutive wins since opening the season 2-0 but have a chance for a rare winning streak when they visit Kristaps Porzingis and the New York Knicks on Monday. Porzingis returned from a one-game absence (elbow) to score 34 points in a rout of the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, and his Knicks have won seven of nine.

"It has been a long time since we got a win like this," Porzingis - who was pulled after just 27 minutes - told reporters. "Other guys can get some minutes and get their rhythm. Obviously, I wanted to be on the floor, I don't want to sit out. But it's nice. My body didn't take as much damage, maybe, this game." Porzingis scored at least 30 points eight times already, including a 32-point effort to go along with a season high-tying 12 rebounds in a 114-95 win at Cleveland on Oct. 29. That was in the midst of a four-game slide for the Cavaliers, who have shown some signs of a turnaround with three victories in their last five games, including a 111-104 win in Dallas on Saturday behind Kevin Love (29 points, 15 rebounds). "They just found me all night, especially in that third quarter," Love told the media. "They kept feeding me the ball. They knew I had a little rhythm going and that set the tone for us."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (6-7): LeBron James averaged 35.8 points in the first five games this month before producing 19 in the win at Dallas, but 3-point specialist J.R. Smith picked up some of the slack with 17 points to continue a productive stretch. "I'm shooting the same shots, it's just, they're starting to fall," Smith told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "For whatever reason it is, just happened earlier. Being aggressive earlier, trying to put the ball on the floor, get to the basket. Trying to get to the free-throw line. Just trying to be more aggressive, as opposed to waiting for it to come to me." Smith is 12-for-24 from the 3-point line while averaging 16.7 points over a three-game span.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (7-5): Center Joakim Noah's 20-game suspension for the use of performance-enhancing drugs ends Monday, which means New York will gain a veteran presence along the front line, although it is uncertain how much Noah will be involved. "All I can do is just be as ready as possible," Noah told the New York Daily News. "I feel like I've put myself in that position, grinding hard. Whatever my role is, I'll accept it." Fellow big man Enes Kanter continued to impress with 17 points and 13 rebounds in the win over the Kings and backup Kyle O'Quinn is averaging 6.7 points and six rebounds in 16.6 minutes.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Knicks SF Tim Hardaway Jr. had a season-high 34 points in the first meeting this season and a career-high 36 against Cleveland last season.

2. Cavaliers PG Derrick Rose (ankle) - a Knick last season who would be making his return to Madison Square Garden - missed the last two games and is day-to-day.

3. New York entered Sunday second in the NBA in shooting (48.2 percent), while Cleveland was fifth (47.7).

PREDICTION: Knicks 114, Cavaliers 111