Knicks blown out by Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers in latest test vs. top-tier team

CLEVELAND — For the Knicks, another measuring-stick game resulted in the ruler being broken over their heads.

The test this time was the Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that has sat atop the Eastern Conference all season long and entered this game with a chip on its shoulder, looking not only to prove their elite status, but do it with a bit of vengeance against the team that muscled them out of the playoffs two seasons ago.

The Knicks could point to excuses — missing Josh Hart for the second straight game, heading on the road for a back-to-back after an overtime win Thursday — but none would explain away just how bad they looked in a 142-105 loss.

The Knicks dropped to 0-6 against the three teams with a better record than them — and for the fourth time, did so in humbling fashion, blown out from start to finish. The Knicks trailed by as many as 33 before coach Tom Thibodeau finally pulled the plug and emptied the bench at the start of the fourth quarter. And in 69 seconds the Cavs ran off eight straight points for a 39-point lead — the largest deficit the Knicks have faced this season. It didn’t end until the Knicks had surrendered the most points they’ve given up in regulation this season.

Jalen Brunson (26 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (23 points) did their part offensively, but no one presented even a marginal obstacle defensively. Make any excuse you want, but there are none that explain being outhustled with such regularity, the Cavs beating them down the floor on nearly every possession when it was still a hint of a contest.

Outside the Knicks’ organization, it was understandable that fans — and yes, media — pointed to this game at Rocket Arena as a measuring stick for the Knicks, a chance to pit themselves against the best team in the Eastern Conference. Now, they have less than 48 hours to steady themselves to take the floor at TD Garden against the Celtics, who have beaten the Knicks by a combined 50 points in two games.

And for the Cavaliers, it certainly was a chance to prove themselves — not just against one of the better teams in the NBA but against the team that they still see as the one that embarrassed them in the postseason two years ago, outmuscling them and demonstrating that they had a ways to go before becoming the contender they are now.

But the Knicks again found themselves missing pieces. Hart was out for a second straight game, with little clarity about why he suddenly has been sidelined by a knee problem after a week off for the All-Star break. Mitchell Robinson still has not made his season debut. And they traveled to Cleveland for the second night of a back-to-back after an overtime win over Chicago in which four players logged more than 40 minutes.

So what exactly would this game mean? And the same question could be posed for Sunday afternoon’s game in Boston.

“I mean, everyone has to run their own race,” Thibodeau said. “They’ve been building for a while. They’re having a terrific season. They’re strong on both sides of the ball. Then we have to run our own race. It’s what you do day after day. At the end, how well are you playing, how healthy are you? You look forward to that challenge as well.”

Hart did not accompany the Knicks to Cleveland but could join them in Boston. They did have OG Anunoby back in the lineup Friday after he sat out the previous six games, a period stretching 20 days since he suffered a right foot sprain against the Lakers.

Perhaps it could be attributed to the time off, but Anunoby looked a step slow — as did most of the Knicks roster — all night and on one play with 10:01 left in the third quarter he lost the ball to Donovan Mitchell on a fast break and as he slipped to the floor he grabbed at the right foot. But he remained in the game.

This one was over in the first quarter as Cleveland built a 41-29 lead, shooting 17-of-23 from the floor. By halftime the Knicks had surrendered a season-worst 77 points in the first half and were down by 27.

The Cavs brought in a full squad and a chip on their shoulder.

“They remember,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I’m sure our players remember. They talk about it. It’s one of those kind of challenges you’ve got to get over. It’s not a playoff game tonight, but this is a team that took you out. How are you gonna perform against them? How you gonna be ready for them?”

“It’s going to be a great matchup,” Cavaliers guard Darius Garland told reporters after Thursday’s win in Brooklyn. “Of course, everyone is thinking about the playoff series that we had with them. But we’re two totally different teams. The Rocket is going to be rockin’.”