Topic / Subject

A Post column says the Knicks still don’t know their identity, right after a brutal 109-94 loss in Cleveland featuring an 11-point third quarter. Is it true?

TL;DR

The Post says the Knicks’ identity is still a question, and the Cleveland loss made that criticism louder, especially after an 11-point third quarter. 

Key Details

The New York Post frames New York’s “critical question” as simple: what’s their identity, this late in the season?  Cleveland beat New York 109-94, and Reuters highlights a disaster third quarter: 11 points on 3-of-24 shooting.  ESPN’s recap also notes the Cavs outscored the Knicks 23-11 in the third and clamped New York to 3-of-24 in the period.  Reuters says the result pulled Cleveland into a tie with New York for third in the East. 

Breakdown

This is the kind of loss that turns a regular-season slump into a full-on “what are we, exactly?” conversation.

The Post’s point isn’t that the Knicks have to be perfect in February—it’s that by now, the team should have a reliable shape: how they score, how they close, and what they lean on when things get ugly. 

And that third quarter in Cleveland was the exact nightmare fuel for that argument. When you score 11 in a quarter, it doesn’t just look like “missed shots.” It looks like confusion, stagnation, and a team searching for the easy button that isn’t there. 

What to Watch Next

Whether the rotation/closing group tightens up over the next 5–10 games (or keeps changing).  If the offense rebounds immediately, or if this becomes a pattern against top defenses. Standings pressure: tied teams don’t get to “figure it out later.”

Sources

New York Post — “Knicks have yet to answer critical question — and time is running out” 

Reuters — “Donovan Mitchell, Cavs keep rolling, cool off Knicks” 

ESPN (AP) — “Cavaliers pull away in second half for 109-94 victory over Knicks” 

Comment

What’s the Knicks’ “identity” if you had to name it in one line, defense, pace, Brunson hero ball, or something else?