Cleveland’s Defensive Meltdown in New York: What We Learned from 126-124 Loss
The Cleveland Cavaliers entered Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day 2025 with an opportunity to prove they belonged in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. For three quarters, it looked like they were doing exactly that. However, a catastrophic fourth-quarter collapse saw a 17-point lead evaporate, resulting in a demoralizing 126-124 loss to the New York Knicks. For beat reporter Chris Fedor and the Cavs faithful, this wasn’t just a regular season defeat; it was a blown chance to make a definitive statement on the NBA’s biggest regular-season stage.
The game started with the kind of "Wine and Gold" dominance that fans have come to expect when the team is clicking. Donovan Mitchell was electric from the jump, scoring 10 points in the opening minutes to fuel an 18-3 Cleveland run. By the end of the first quarter, the Cavs held a 38-23 advantage, looking every bit like the championship contender they aspire to be. The ball movement was crisp, the defense was active, and even with the Knicks' crowd at full volume, Cleveland appeared to be in total control.
The Return of Evan Mobley and Early Success
A significant storyline heading into the holiday matchup was the return of Evan Mobley. After missing five games with a strained left calf, Mobley was a game time decision who ultimately suited up and provided an immediate interior presence. He finished the night with 14 points and nine rebounds, showing flashes of the Defensive Player of the Year caliber play that Cleveland missed during his absence.
With Mobley back in the fold alongside Jarrett Allen, the Cavs' "Twin Towers" dominated the paint early on. Donovan Mitchell continued his blistering scoring pace, finishing with 34 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Darius Garland also looked comfortable, orchestrating the offense to the tune of 20 points and 10 assists. When Cleveland pushed the lead to 103-86 early in the fourth quarter, the game felt academic. But at Madison Square Garden, no lead is truly safe.
The Bench Spark and the Kolek Factor
The momentum shifted violently when Knicks coach Mike Brown turned to his reserves. While Jalen Brunson led New York with 34 points, it was the bench duo of Tyler Kolek and Mitchell Robinson that tore the game away from Cleveland. Kolek, the second-year guard, scored 11 of his 16 points in the final period, energizing the Garden crowd and frustrating the Cavs' perimeter defenders.
The play of the game and perhaps the season for New York occurred with 1:45 remaining. With Cleveland clinging to a one point lead, Darius Garland found a streaking Donovan Mitchell for what appeared to be an easy breakaway layup. Out of nowhere, Kolek chased him down and recorded a clean block. Originally called a foul, the play was overturned on review, handing possession back to New York and setting the stage for Jalen Brunson’s go-ahead three pointer with 1:05 left on the clock.
Lessons from a Demoralizing Loss
As Chris Fedor noted in his post game analysis, this loss highlighted a recurring issue for the 2025-26 Cavaliers: the inability to handle "zero second reactions" and high pressure runs. Coach Kenny Atkinson emphasized that the team lost the "sprint battles" in the final six minutes. Despite outshooting New York for much of the night, the Cavs allowed the Knicks to go on a 13-2 run that flipped the script.
The final possession saw Mitchell miss a difficult contested jumper that would have forced overtime. The silence in the Cleveland locker room spoke volumes. Winning two straight games prior to Christmas had built some momentum, but failing to close out a divisional rival on national television raises questions about this core's late game execution. While the return of Mobley is a massive positive, the team’s defensive rating in the fourth quarter remains a glaring red flag that Atkinson must address before the postseason.