Watch the Market: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks

STOCK UP:

After this one, it won’t be easy to look on the bright side. The Cleveland Cavaliers got spanked in a game they should have won handily given New York’s depleted rotation — which suffered another blow when Jalen Brunson injured himself on the Knicks’ opening possession.

Isaac Okoro is one of the lone bright spots for Cleveland in this game. He scored 17 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and dished 4 assists. Okoro nailed 3-8 three-pointers, nearly matching his total of four in all of last year’s series against New York.

Okoro still has room to grow but he has been a more dynamic part of the Cavaliers’ offense. A simple pick-and-pop like the one below would have felt like a fevered dream just a season ago. But, Okoro is above 40% from downtown this season and has started to demand attention from opposing defenses.

Sam Merrill is someone else who has earned respect on the perimeter. The lights-out motion shooter knocked down seven three-pointers, single-handedly keeping the Cavs alive during various points of the game.

Finding a way to play Merrill has become a topic of conversation. With Cleveland’s expanding rotation, Merrill has often received DNPs per the coach’s decision. Yet he has been such a massively impactful shooter, it is getting harder to justify keeping Sam off of the floor.

STOCK DOWN:

Toughness is what the Cavs seemingly lacked in last year’s collapse to New York. If this game is any indication — they are still searching for their heart.

The Knicks once again punked them. Taking it straight to the Cavaliers even with a carousel of injuries putting them at a disadvantage. An overly physical game led to another Knicks win — and the Cavaliers shouldn’t be happy about it.

NBA fans and media will tell you the regular season doesn’t matter. In various ways, it doesn’t. But given the history between these two teams, a lackluster effort from the Cavs carries more weight than it should.

Even without Donovan Mitchell or Caris LeVert, the rest of the Cavs should have been playing with fire. This fury was nowhere to be found. if the Cavaliers want any chance of winning a playoff series, they will have to do some serious soul-searching down the stretch of the regular season.

Because at the end of the day, these games matter.