The Knicks were back home at Madison Square Garden Friday night, taking the court after two days off. Yet for much of the night, it seemed as if they were still toiling on the road, finding excuses between time zones rather than enjoying familiar surroundings.
They were dragging through a sloppy start that saw them score just three points in the first six minutes of the game. With the Cavs equally sloppy and sluggish, the Knicks still held just a five-point lead when Immanuel Quickley entered with 5:31 to play. And Quickley misfired on his first five shots of the second half, seeming to fit right in with the rest of the game.