Tip-off: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Line: N/A, Total: N/A

The Knicks will be looking to get their season back on track with a victory over the Cavaliers on Saturday.

The Cavaliers are coming off of a 125-97 victory over the Timberwolves and the team really needed that win. The defending champs had lost four of their previous six games heading into that game on Wednesday, and there has been some panic in Cleveland. Now the Cavaliers have a golden opportunity to earn a second straight win, as they’re facing the lowly Knicks on Saturday. New York is coming off of a victory over Brooklyn, but the Knicks trailed almost the entire game and it was really a pathetic performance against one of the league’s worst teams. The Knicks had lost two straight games and three of their past four heading into that one, but maybe getting back into the win column will get them back on track. They are, however, facing a Cavaliers team that has already beaten them twice this season. One thing that bodes well for the Knicks in this game is the fact that they are facing a Cavs team that is just 7-14 ATS when playing on the road this season. The Knicks are also an impressive 15-9 ATS when playing at home on the season. PF Kevin Love (Back) is likely to miss this game for Cleveland, and PG Derrick Rose (Ankle) should be out for New York.

With the Cavaliers in desperate need of a victory on Wednesday, SF LeBron James (25.7 PPG, 8.6 APG, 8.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG) played one of his better games of the year. James dominated the Timberwolves, finishing with 27 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds on 11-for-14 shooting from the floor. He also chipped in two steals and a block on the defensive end. If James can play that type of bully ball more often then the Cavaliers will have no trouble getting back to their winning ways. He was not settling for jumpers, and that is a blueprint he’d be wise to follow against the Knicks on Saturday. PG Kyrie Irving (24.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, 1.2 SPG) also delivered an excellent performance for the Cavaliers on Wednesday. Irving had only 14 points in the game, but he dished out a season-high 14 assists. Perhaps he heard LeBron James’ call for another “playmaker” and decided to do what he can to set his teammates up. Still, Irving is one of the better scorers in the league and he shouldn’t stray too far away from what he’s good at. He is averaging 28.5 PPG in two meetings with the Knicks this season, and the Cavaliers will win this one if he reaches that number again on Saturday.

The Knicks almost lost an embarrassing game against the Nets on Wednesday, but they ended up pulling out a 95-90 victory with SF Carmelo Anthony (23.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG) on the bench down the stretch. Anthony was 6-for-22 from the floor in 27 minutes on Wednesday, and he’ll need to be a lot better than that this weekend. Fortunately for New York, PF Kristaps Porzingis (18.7 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.0 BPG) had a good game against Brooklyn. Porzingis had been slumping heading into Wednesday’s game, but he had 19 points, 12 boards and two blocks in the victory. It’s important that he comes through with a similar effort on Saturday or the Knicks are going to have no chance of winning. One other guy to watch out for in this one is C Willy Hernangomez (6.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG). Hernangomez gave the Knicks a huge lift against the Nets on Wednesday, racking up 16 points, 16 rebounds, two steals and a block in 25 minutes of action. In 14 games where Hernangomez has played 20 or more minutes, the big man has averaged a double-double. It’d be wise for the Knicks to do what they can to get him some more time.