NEW YORK — It’s a new day for the New York Knicks, and not just because it’s a new season.

The Knicks have a new coach, a new offense, a new rotation, and on Wednesday, a different result against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team they might be battling at the top of the Eastern Conference from now until late May.

Last season, Cleveland swept the season series and finished 13 games ahead of New York. But the Knicks controlled the 2025-26 opener at Madison Square Garden for about 40 of the 48 minutes, finishing strong and holding on for a 119-111 victory on Wednesday.

The Cavs erased a 17-point deficit and took a brief, two-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Knicks answered with a 14-0 run and were never really threatened after that. That was the story of the night, with

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