I’m old enough to remember when the New York Knicks‘ title defense got off to an 0-3 start. Now winners of three straight and five of their last six, it feels like a lifetime ago.

Saturday night’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers puts the Knicks above .500 for the first time this season. New York is now fifth in the Eastern Conference at 5-4.

And there’s no reason to think they’ll do anything but keep it rolling. A few takeaways from what feels like a night we’ll remember down the stretch.

Knicks own the Cavs

Breaking news: Donovan Mitchell has been cast as the lead in “Groundhog Day 2,” where he’s forced to play the Knicks over and over while suffering the same result.

Ok, but seriously. Isn’t he tired of losing yet?

Since he arrived in Cleveland back in the summer of 2022, I have his record against New York at 7-14, which includes a putrid 1-8 record in the postseason.

I bring up Mitchell because his arrival to the Cavaliers earmarked this era of their team. And in a way, did the same for the Knicks.

Fans wanted Mitchell here, sharing a backcourt next to Jalen Brunson. Ultimately it was Leon Rose who balked at Danny Ainge’s asking price.

Not trading for Mitchell was one of many dominoes that had to fall in the construction of this championship roster.

Rose went on to use players and picks Ainge banged the table for in separate deals for OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.

We should be all smiles whenever Mitchell is in town or vice versa. He played his part in the Knicks winning it all, after all.

Mikal Bridges, closer?

Lost in the box score from this one is Mikal Bridges, who played eight minutes in the fourth quarter and closed the game.

More importantly, he hit a mid-range jumper with 1:35 left to keep the Knicks lead at double-digits. It was just his second fourth-quarter make of the season.

Bridges entered Saturday with just 33 fourth-quarter minutes over New York’s first eight games. Head coach Mike Brown has been hooking him in the third quarter, opting for the hot hand most nights.

He’s got a long way to go before he’ll be considered the hot hand, but Bridges closing this one against the Cavaliers is a step in the right direction.

Stars aligned

Saturday night marked–by my count–the 16th regular season game where Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have each scored 25 or more.

New York is 11-5 in those games, dating back to 2024-2025. Four of those losses came in the duo’s first year as teammates.

It’s not exactly Haley’s comet, but it’s not commonplace–at least not in the regular season–for Brunson and Towns to both have it going offensively.

The win over the Cavaliers was the two stars at their best, playing hot potato.

Towns ended the night with 29, after opening the game with 14 in the first, feasting in a paint without Jarrett Allen.

Brunson finished with 31 after an 18-point second quarter, in an atypical Cleveland outing for the star guard.

It’s only getting better for the Knicks, who will look to make it a four-game winning streak on Tuesday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks. Tip-off is 7:30 pm EST.