NEW YORK – Donovan Mitchell called it the first real test of the new season. The Cavs passed.

Cleveland remained undefeated with a gutsy 110-104 victory after coming from behind against the rival New York Knicks – a bugbear of recent seasons. The Cavs are now 4-0.

Immediately after Saturday’s win against the resurgent Washington Wizards, Mitchell spoke about the tougher tests ahead. The Cavs opened with a trio of proverbial layups against the NBA scum. Monday was different. It was a crucial clash against an opponent new coach Kenny Atkinson described as “championship contenders”. Mitchell wanted to see if the new-look offense could be just as rhythmic. He wanted to see if the defense would be just as stifling. Would the shots fall with more defensive pressure and less space? Would they trust the new system or go back to old habits?

Despite trailing at halftime for the first time all season and facing their largest deficit at some point in the second half, the Cavs stayed connected and seized the moment, outscoring the Knicks 65-52 in the final two quarters and An advance towards the end of the game was thwarted by the home team.

Point guard Darius Garland, looking to regain his All-Star form this season, scored 34 points, his highest non-overtime total since December. At 3:30 of the fourth quarter, Garland fired a three-pointer from the air that smacked through the net as the beleaguered guard held his follow-up and blew a kiss to the sky, silencing the rowdy crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Mitchell, the New York native who is no longer dealing with the incessant trade rumors to the Knicks, scored 25 points on 9 of 17 shooting and 3 of 8 from 3-point range.

Evan Mobley finished the game with 17 points and eight rebounds. Jarrett Allen posted a double-double, posting 15 points and 15 rebounds in 31 dominant minutes.

The new-look Knicks, seemingly reaching another level of competition after two blockbuster transactions over the summer that reshaped the roster and changed their style of play, had six players in double figures. Jalen Brunson led the way with 21, but was just 8 of 24 from the field and was often chased by bigger, tougher defenders throughout.

Newcomers Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 and 13 points, respectively.

Monday night was exactly what the Cavs needed. It’s what they wanted.

Energy in the arena. physicality. Hard fouls. Shortened rotations (ineffective Isaac Okoro and Ty Jerome did not play in the second half). Late game offensive-defensive substitutions.

Playoff basketball in late October cannot be repeated. But the game had some of those elements. And Cleveland, which had been 3-9 against New York the previous two years, prevailed.

This great start doesn’t feel like a coincidence.

Next

The Cavs host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. The meeting point is scheduled for 7 p.m