The Cavaliers are getting back into rhythm, but the Knicks offered a Christmas day reality check.
The NBA's 2025 Christmas day slate opened with an instant classic between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
Despite an early lead, the Cavaliers fell short 126-124 in the Big Apple.
Early in the season, the Cavs created many Scrooges among the fan base with abysmal losses to lesser teams. Ahead of Christmas, Cleveland had just bounced back from a three-game losing streak to teams with sub-.