Cavaliers 90 - 87 Knicks
Final
  for this game

'Melo, Knicks welcome LeBron, Cavs to MSG

Dec 4, 2014 - 3:37 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Knicks spoiled LeBron James' homecoming with the Cleveland Cavaliers in late October and will try to pull off another win Thursday under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points to lead the Knicks to a 95-90 win at Cleveland on Oct. 30, while James countered with 17 points. New York shot 53.6 percent from the floor and scored 26 points on 19 turnovers.

The 4-15 Knicks have struggled since that win over the Cavs and look to stop a five-game losing streak in the finale of a three-game homestand. In a 98-93 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, Anthony and Jose Calderon scored 20 and 19 points, respectively, and Amare Stoudemire posted 17 and nine rebounds.

New York shot 43.2 percent and committed 14 turnovers, leading to 19 Nets points. Calderon made 5-of-6 3-pointers, but the Knicks connected on only 11 of their 28 shots from downtown.

"Hopefully we can do a better job for 48 minutes," Calderon said.

J.R. Smith did not play versus the Nets with flu-like symptoms and is listed as probable Thursday. He is averaging 9.2 points per game.

The Knicks are 3-7 at home and will visit Charlotte Friday night. They are 0-4 on the front end of a back-to-back this season.

Cleveland will play three straight and five of its next six games on the road, and has won four in a row. The four-game win streak comes on the heels of a four-game slide, which followed four straight victories.

The Cavaliers squeezed by the Milwaukee Bucks, 111-108, on Tuesday and Kyrie Irving had 28 points and six assists to lead the way. Kevin Love added 27 points and 10 rebounds, while James finished with 26 points and 10 assists with 14-of-21 free throws.

"We executed at the right time," James said. "We got the shots we wanted and didn't turn the ball over late in the game."

The Cavaliers went 4-1 on the homestand and shot 53.4 percent (39-of-73) from the floor. They are averaging 109.8 points during the win streak and have won eight in a row when reaching 100 points.

Love is averaging 22.2 points in his past five games and leads the Cavs with eight double-doubles this season.

James, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, is averaging 28.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 38 regular season games against the Knicks, who have won eight of the last 11 games against Cleveland.






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