Knicks Hold Off Cavs, Take Game 1 101-97

 As I wrote for Fox Sports New Jersey

It had been 17 days since Julius Randle last played in a game for the New York Knicks this season. After nursing an ankle injury down the stretch, Randle returned to contribute 19 points, while Jalen Brunson — also back to full strength after a hand injury, dropped down 27 points, and the Knicks held off a late Cleveland charge 101-97.

New York leads the best-of-seven 1-0.

 The Knicks had led virtually all night, enjoying a 10-point lead (84-74) as late as 7:08 to go in the regulation, before Cleveland stormed back, and flipped that score into a Cavaliers’ one-point lead with 2:12 to go on Jarrett Allen’s tip in shot.

 Give credit to the Knicks, they battled back. Josh Harris drained a three, and Brunson hit an 18-foot jumper to put the Knicks back up by four points, 97-93 with 1:15 to go. Brunson would hit one more shot, an eight-footer to give New York a 99-95 lead.

 Allen would respond for Cleveland with a bucket of his own to cut the Knicks lead down to two points with 31.1 seconds to go.

Finally Quentin Grimes nailed a pair of free throws with 4.1 seconds to go to ice it for New York after a personal foul on Darius Garland.

Donovan Mitchell also missed a big three-pointer for Cleveland as time expired.

New York and Cleveland duke it out again in Game 2 in Ohio on Tuesday.