CLEVELAND (Interstat) — Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 13 rebounds, Jalen Brunson added 31 points and nine assists, and the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-97 on Saturday at Rocket Arena. The rematch between last season’s Eastern Conference finalists drew an announced attendance of 19,432. New York, the defending NBA champions, improved to 5-4. Cleveland fell to 5-5. The Knicks entered having won two straight, while the Cavaliers were coming off a home win over Philadelphia and seeking a second straight home victory.

The Knicks did much of their work with a decisive second-quarter run and a steady advantage at the free-throw line. New York scored 109 points on 94 possessions, an offensive rating of 116.4. The Knicks shot 41 of 96 from the floor, made 14 of 44 from 3-point range and hit 13 of 14 free throws. They grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, blocked three shots and committed seven turnovers while being whistled for 18 fouls. New York’s ability to generate second chances and convert at the line helped offset a difficult shooting night from beyond the arc. The Knicks also forced 11 Cleveland turnovers, creating enough extra possessions to withstand the Cavaliers’ late push.

Cleveland scored 97 points on 92 possessions, an offensive rating of 105.4. The Cavaliers shot 35 of 82 from the floor, 16 of 50 from beyond the arc and 11 of 19 from the free-throw line. They had 10 offensive rebounds, blocked five shots and committed 11 turnovers, also finishing with 18 fouls. Cleveland’s 3-point shooting kept the Cavaliers within striking distance for long stretches, but New York’s edge on the offensive glass and at the line proved significant. The Cavaliers made six more 3-pointers than New York but attempted six more shots from deep and could not match the Knicks’ efficiency at the stripe.

Towns, the top star for New York, finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes. He entered on a productive stretch that included 25 points and 17 rebounds against Chicago and 22 points and 12 rebounds at Philadelphia in recent games. Brunson had 31 points, six rebounds and nine assists in 34 minutes. OG Anunoby added 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block. Mikal Bridges finished with nine points, six rebounds, four assists and a block. Jordan Clarkson scored nine points off the bench, Tyler Kolek had five assists and Andre Drummond grabbed eight rebounds in 14 minutes.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with a season-high 37 points, four rebounds, four assists and a block. Evan Mobley added 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Peyton Watson scored 12 points with six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Mitchell scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, carrying much of Cleveland’s comeback attempt. The Cavaliers also got timely shooting from Riley Minix and Tyrese Proctor, but they could not string together enough stops in the final minutes.

The most important stretch came in the second quarter, when Brunson scored 18 consecutive New York points. With the Knicks trailing 39-34 after a Riley Minix 3-pointer, Brunson went to work with a 26-foot 3-pointer, two free throws, a 16-foot step-back jumper, a 13-foot pullup, a 25-foot running jumper and a 25-foot 3-pointer. His 3-pointer and free throw with 3:23 left in the half gave New York a 50-45 lead. The Knicks kept the momentum from there, closing the half with 3-pointers from Landry Shamet and two from Anunoby, the second with 15.1 seconds remaining, to take a 63-53 lead into halftime. That burst changed the game and forced Cleveland to chase.

The Cavaliers opened with an early push behind Mobley and Watson, but New York answered through Towns and Brunson. Towns made a 27-foot 3-pointer, a short jumper and a driving dunk, while Anunoby added a 26-foot 3-pointer and a dunk. Cleveland stayed close with 3-pointers from Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor, and Mitchell’s step-back 3-pointer and free throw helped the Cavaliers keep pace. Riley Minix then gave Cleveland a lift early in the second with a running jumper, a reverse layup and a 3-pointer before Brunson’s surge flipped control. Cleveland’s early energy did not translate into a halftime lead.

New York extended its lead in the third quarter. Towns scored inside and from midrange, Brunson knocked down floaters and pullups, and Shamet’s 24-foot running jumper helped push the Knicks to an 88-70 advantage after three quarters. Mobley kept Cleveland close with a dunk, a bank shot and a layup, and Tyrese Proctor made a step-back 3-pointer, but New York answered each time. Brunson’s driving floating jumper and fadeaway, along with a 3-pointer from Shamet, helped the Knicks maintain a comfortable cushion entering the final period. New York led by as many as 19 in the second half.

Cleveland answered in the fourth behind Mitchell, whose 3-pointers and driving floaters repeatedly cut into the deficit. A 3-pointer from Mitchell brought the Cavaliers to 90-78, and Cleveland later trimmed the margin to 104-96 on Watson’s basket with 1:53 remaining. Mikal Bridges answered with a 13-foot jumper, Brunson made two free throws and Anunoby added two more from the line to close out the win. Brunson’s 15-foot pullup with 2:52 left was another critical shot as New York held off the late charge. Towns also hit a 24-foot 3-pointer and a hook shot in the fourth to help steady the Knicks before Cleveland’s final push. The Knicks protected the ball down the stretch and did not allow Cleveland to complete the rally.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Cleveland 109, New York 107. Interstat’s ELO system had projected New York with a 72.6 percent probability to win. New York had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -5.5. The total score of 206 went over the over/under line of 223.