Cavaliers open season at Knicks with Garland out, Ball to run point

The Cleveland Cavaliers open their 2025-26 season Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks, a matchup that could offer an early glimpse of the Eastern Conference pecking order. The Cavs will be shorthanded, with point guard Darius Garland listed out due to a toe injury and guard Max Strus sidelined with a Jones fracture in his foot, according to the team injury report. Wing De'Andre Hunter is also listed as questionable. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern.

Cleveland enters the season coming off a 64-win regular season and the Eastern Conference's top seed, but the club's run ended in an early playoff exit to the Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers return much of their core, including Donovan Mitchell and the frontcourt pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and added Lonzo Ball and Thomas Bryant in the offseason. Coach Kenny Atkinson, in his first year last season, guided the league's highest-scoring offense and has said the team aims to advance deeper in the postseason.

New York arrives with its own changes and high expectations after reaching the conference finals last season. The Knicks replaced Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown as head coach and...