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The Knicks began the period with a 19-6 burst, turning a two-point lead into a 101-86 advantage as the starters watched. Novak made two 3-pointers, Davis made a layup and hooked up with Smith on a gorgeous alley-oop. Jared Jeffries had a bucket and Shumpert capped it with a layup with 5:50 remaining before the first team finally got to play again.
"I think in the first half we came out kind of flat," Novak said. "In the second half, we all went out and warmed up and we knew we had to get it going, and we knew if defensively we got it going our offense would happen, and that's what happened."
Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler came back with 5:23 left, and Lin and Anthony returned 21 seconds later for Davis and Smith. The reserves got loud ovations as they departed, and Novak was even treated to a "We want Novak! We want Novak!" chant with about 3 minutes left.
Chandler had 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Cleveland appeared on its way to joining Toronto, Charlotte, Phoenix, Milwaukee, New Orleans and New Jersey as sub.-500 teams who have won at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks missed eight of their first nine shots as Cleveland raced to a 7-1 lead. Jamison's 3-pointer with 6.5 seconds left made it 31-24 after one quarter.
Daniel Gibson hit three straight 3-pointers midway through the second to push the lead to 16, and it peaked at 17 later in the period before the Cavs settled for a 61-49 advantage at halftime.
Lin bounced back from his 1-for-11 performance in a 102-88 loss at Miami in the last game before the break, going 6 of 12 with only one turnover. Irving, playing in front of family and friends from nearby New Jersey, shot 8 of 18.
NOTES: With the Big East tournament in town next week, the Knicks don't play at Madison Square Garden again until March 11. They open a four-game trip Sunday at Boston, then go to Dallas, San Antonio and Milwaukee. ... Athletes in the crowd included Magic Johnson, tennis star Caroline Wozniacki, who plays Maria Sharapova as part of a doubleheader exhibition here Monday, and 2004 Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Carly Patterson.
[Associated Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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