Collin Sexton, the Cavaliers beat Kevin Knox and Knicks in the race for Zion Williamson | Bleacher's report

Kevin Love led all scorers with 26 points. The rookie Cavs leader and overall No. 8 pick, Collin Sexton lost 22 points and played several key games in the fourth quarter as part of a 17-4 sequence that allowed the Cavs to take the lead. 39; 119-115 advantage after losing 111-102 with 4: 42 remaining to play.

Alongside Sexton in the Cavs' last push, fellow Jordan Clarkson also scored 22 points.

Eighteen-year-old Duke Ph.D., Zion Williamson, will not have a say in which NBA the franchise deals with it.

However, the Knicks' current young plays continue to show the heights they could reach if they had the chance to name Williamson No. 1.

The game remained tight until the Knicks scored 17-6 to finish the third quarter with a 12-point lead. The impetus comes from Trier, Robinson, leader Dennis Smith Jr. and forward Henry Ellenson, who signed a 10-day contract with New York on February 20th.

While Cleveland responded with a separate race that ultimately won the game, the Knicks youth put their potential forward at several points in the competition, especially those off the bench.

Ellenson expires 10 days this weekend, but ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski announced Thursday morning that the Knicks are planning to sign Ellenson for the remainder of the season with a team option for the 2019-2020 season. Ellenson (the No. 18 pick in 2016 by the Detroit Pistons) is only 22 years old and could create a nice tandem for the future Knicks striker alongside Noah Vonleh, 23 (also an old choice). first round).

With Vonleh as a free agent on hold, Ellenson's development becomes all the more important.

Trier's growing production is a testament to the Knicks development team, which makes it even more intriguing for a generational talent such as Williamson to land in their system.

The prospect of a Williamson of 6 7 7 & # 39; and 285 pounds teaming with a 7 "1" Robinson becomes more attractive as Robinson continues to climb as a defender. "At the start of Thursday night's game, Robinson averaged 5.5 blocks per 36 minutes and had 52 blocks in 344 minutes since the calendar in January.

By comparison, according to ForbesRudy Gobert (who won the 2017-2017 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award) has recorded 51 blocks in 729 minutes since the start of 2019.

Robinson and Williamson both proved that their benefits to important men were not limited to painting. Robinson continued his growing tendency to block the three-point attempts on Thursday, and Williamson has already become a highlight the coil in this regard.

Knox's relatively unobtrusive contributions should actually be encouraging for New York, as a strong cast around the 19-year-old will only help maximize the potential that the Knicks saw in him after he left Kentucky. The Knicks made it clear that their plan to go forward did not involve a star player when they Kristaps Porzingis, former general choice n ° 4 in Dallas on January 31st.

New York received in part his former overall pick number 21, Smith Jr., 21, who scored 16 points and 8 assists against the Cavs, as well as two first-round picks in exchange for Porzingis. The development of Smith Jr. as a playmaker alongside Knox, Ellenson, Robinson and Trier will determine the impact that any future lottery choice may have on MSG – be it Williamson or someone else. another one.

And after?

The Cavaliers will host the Detroit Pistons Saturday at 16h. AND, while the Knicks will travel to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Sunday afternoon.