Cleveland @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 10, 2019 ) Cleveland 108, New York 87

The New York Knicks have yet to string a pair of victories together this season and missed out on two chances to do so at home in November against sub .500 teams, including Saturday when they coughed up a four-point lead in the final 35 seconds against Charlotte. The Knicks look to avenge the other of those two disappointing losses when they host the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

New York owns its only two wins this month over improving Dallas, but lost to Cleveland 108-87 on Nov. 10 after the first and could not hold an eight-point lead in the final six minutes following the second when Charlotte won on Devonte’ Graham’s 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining. “We didn’t take the game,” Knicks forward Julius Randle told the New York Post after scoring 12 points Saturday as his team dropped to 1-4 at home. “We let them stay around instead of us really taking the game.” The Cavaliers have dropped three straight after falling behind by 22 points and allowing 67 percent shooting in the first half before settling for a 114-95 loss to Philadelphia at home Sunday afternoon. Second-year pro Collin Sexton (18.3 points per game) scored a team-high 17 in the setback and led the way with 31, including a season-best five 3-pointers, in the win at New York earlier this month.

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

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (4-8): Veteran forward Kevin Love had 12 points in 25 minutes Sunday after averaging 20.5 in his previous two games while center Tristan Thompson was a rebound shy of his ninth double-double of the season. Rookie guard Darius Garland scored 11 on Sunday and has reached double figures in four of his last five games after averaging just 7.6 points in his first seven contests of the season. Forward Larry Nance Jr. (9.5 points, 7.0 rebounds) was held out of Sunday’s game with a sprained left thumb, but coach John Beilein told reporters he did not expect it to be a long-term problem.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (3-10): RJ Barrett continues to justify being picked third overall in last June’s draft, scoring 22 in Saturday’s loss and sitting second on the team at 15.8 per game - behind only forward Marcus Morris (18.2). Center Mitchell Robinson had 17 points and 12 boards against Charlotte for his first double-double of the season while Randle is third on the team in scoring (15.5) and leads the way in rebounds (9.5). Forward Bobby Portis scored 14 on Saturday and is 9-for-18 from the field over the past two games after connecting on only 12 of his 46 shots the previous five contests.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Cleveland C Ante Zizic scored six points in 17 minutes in his season debut Sunday after being sidelined with plantar fasciitis.

2. New York PG Frank Ntilikina has 35 assists and just 10 turnovers over his last nine games.

3. Cavaliers G Jordan Clarkson, who scored 15 off the bench Sunday, is 5-for-27 from 3-point range since going 5-for-10 versus Dallas on Nov. 3.

PREDICTION: Knicks 110, Cavaliers 102