Jalen Brunson, Knicks Ripped By NBA Fans After Loss to Cavs With Donovan Mitchell Out

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks couldn't maintain a large first-half lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, falling by the final score of 108-102 at Madison Square Garden.

With the Cavaliers maintaining a two-point lead with just over one minute left in the fourth quarter, Darius Garland connected on a layup that gave Cleveland a four-point advantage.

New York ultimately couldn't close the gap.

The Knicks led by as many as 23 points in the first half but weren't able to hold off a Cleveland team without star Donovan Mitchell due to an ankle injury.

New York was also missing center Karl-Anthony Towns with a knee issue.

Garland finished with a team-high 26 points and 13 assists on 10-of-17 shooting for the Cavs. He also recorded two steals.

For the Knicks, Brunson scored 27 points while shooting 9-of-17 from the field. New York finished with a 40.9 field-goal percentage as a team, though.

Fans called out the Knicks for the late collapse.

With one game left in the regular season, the playoff positioning for both teams was secure prior to Friday's result.

The Cavaliers improved to 64-17 and sit at No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Knicks fell to 50-31 and own the No. 3 seed.