Cavs clinch Central Division title with win over Knicks; three takeaways

3. Finishing the job

Make no bones about it, the Knicks are tanking, but this win was close down the stretch.

The Cavs led by just one point at the end of the first quarter but really turned things into high gear in the second quarter, leading by as many as 14. They kept the momentum going in the third quarter, but in the fourth they started letting the Knicks back into the game. With just 6:37 remaining, the Cavs clung to a five-point lead, 99-94.

It was more than a little helpful that James scored nine of his 26 points in the final frame, while Jordan Clarkson added in 11 on 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc, to help close out the game.

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