Knicks takeaways from 101-97 Game 1 win over Cavaliers, including

The Knicks opened the 2023 NBA Playoffs with a road victory, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1, 101-97.

Julius Randle returned to the court after missing the final five games of the regular season with a sprained right ankle, as he joined Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup.

Here are the takeaways….

– Randle buried a three on his first shot then Barrett got a steal and found Randle for another bucket as the Knicks took a 9-2 lead to open the game. Barrett missed threes on back-to-back possessions as Donovan Mitchell began to get going and the Cavs tied it up. Brunson picked up his second foul with 7:52 left in the first quarter, forcing Immanuel Quickley to come in to the game a bit earlier than expected. Barrett found a cutting Robinson for an alley-oop dunk to give New York a lead, but Isaac Okoro tied it up and then Mitchell sliced his way to the rim to put the Cavs up 17-15 and force Tom Thibodeau to call timeout with 4:53 left in the first.

Grimes put the Knicks up a point with a three and then Josh Hart scored on a tip to make it a 21-18 game. Randle drilled a step-back three to give the Knicks an eight-point lead, but the Cavs continued to keep it close. Evan Mobley scored as time expired as the Knicks led 30-24. New York shot 45.5 percent in the first and went 7-for-8 at the foul line, while holding Cleveland to just 1-for-8 shooting from deep.

– Randle’s hot shooting continued to start the second as he scored to give him 10 points on the night and the Knicks a double-digit lead. Brunson was called for his third foul with 9:12 left in the second, as Barrett replaced him on the court. Darius Garland ended the Cavs’ scoring drought with a corner…