Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby each played through injury to record double-doubles Wednesday night for the host New York Knicks, who pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 in a season opener pitting two Eastern Conference favorites.
Towns, who was listed as doubtful earlier Wednesday due to a strained right quad, converted the tiebreaking 3-pointer during the decisive 14-0 fourth quarter run for the Knicks, who squandered all of a 17-point lead before winning Mike Brown’s debut as head coach.
Brown was hired July 7, more than a month after New York fired Tom Thibodeau, who directed the Knicks to the conference finals last spring for the first time since 2000.
Anunoby, who had an ankle injury, collected 24 points and 14 rebounds while Towns finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Jalen Brunson scored 23 points and Mikal Bridges added 16. Miles McBride scored 15 points off the bench.
The Knicks played without Josh Hart (back) and Mitchell Robinson (load management).
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 31 points for the Cavaliers, who led the Eastern Conference with a 64-18 record last season before falling to the Indiana Pacers in the second round. Evan Mobley had 22 points and eight rebounds while Sam Merrill finished with 19 points. Reserves Dean Wade and Larry Nance Jr. each added 10 points.
De’Andre Hunter (right knee) sat out for the Cavaliers along with Max Strus (foot) and Darius Garland (right toe), each of whom underwent offseason surgeries.
The Knicks led 65-50 at the half and 75-60 three minutes into the third before the Cavaliers went on a 26-10 run. Mitchell had 11 points in the surge, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:32 left.
The Cavaliers inched back and got within 110-105 with 2:03 left on consecutive 3-pointers by Wade and Merrill, but Anunoby sank a 3-pointer on the next possession to begin a game-ending 9-6 run for New York.
