Steve Novak was all smiles after the Cavaliers game, looking back on Anderson Varejao’s second free throw attempt.
“No one was happier that he missed than I was,” he said in the postgame locker room.
That miss propelled the Knicks to the 103-102 victory. After the game, Tyson Chandler shared the defensive strategy on the Cavaliers’ last possession, which forced Kyrie Irving to pass to Varejao, who then got fouled on a drive. Chandler said he planned to double team Irving, who had a career-high 41 points at that point.

Jason Kidd’s numbers weren’t pretty through three quarters against Cleveland.
He missed eight of nine shots — all from beyond the arc — and had just three points entering the fourth.
But, as is always the case with Kidd, the numbers didn’t tell the full story.
Once again, the 39-year-old made several key plays down the stretch for the Knicks in their one-point win over the Cavs.
“That’s what J-Kidd do,” Raymond Felton said. “He’s, in my opinion, one of the best point guards to ever play this game and should be a Hall of Famer when he retires.

With no Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks only up 48-45 at halftime against the Cavaliers (5-20), Tyson Chandler knew he was needed in the third and fourth quarters.
So what did he do? While battling a cold entering the game, Chandler played the entire second half — and put his fingerprints all over the finishing touches of the Knicks’ 103-102 victory, extending their home record to 10-0 this season (the only undefeated mark in the NBA). The center scored eight points in the fourth quarter en route to his ninth double-double of the season (23 points and 10 rebounds on 90.

It was the standard pregame program at the Garden on Saturday night, with the Knicks and Cavaliers lined up on the court for the national anthem, until the public address announcer, Steve Scott, asked the capacity crowd to rise and observe a moment of silence for the victims of the Newtown massacre and their families

Who was that masked man you ask. He’s the point guard that nearly robbed the Knicks blind in the fourth quarter and will be an elite player sooner than later. For now, however, Kyrie Irving will have to settle for establishing his career-high for points on Saturday in a game where the Knicks, playing without Carmelo Anthony, were a little smarter and little luckier in the closing seconds.

It took a young Jersey guy with a broken jaw and black mask to nearly derail the Knicks’ home unbeaten streak at the Garden.
The league’s new masked man, the Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving, put on a dazzling show last night with a career-high 41 points â?? 17 in the final…

On Friday in Cleveland, Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving drove to the basket and was knocked face first into the floor, breaking a bone in his jaw.
Last night at the Garden, wearing a protective mask, Irving darn near drove the Knicks right through the floor in an attempt to…

Carmelo Anthony was out and rookie Chris Copeland â?? of Belgian League fame â?? was in.In a surprise move, Knicks coach Mike Woodson elected to start Copeland with Anthony resting his sprained left ankle in last night’s 103-102 win over the Cavaliers. Copeland scored a career-high 11 points, making four…

Robinson Cano should use Carmelo Anthony as a role model. It would help the Yankees and it would enhance his free-agent value next offseason â?? particularly to the Yankees.
Cano and Anthony have a good deal in common, at least coming into this NBA season. Both have had renown as offensive…

Playing without the injured Carmelo Anthony again, the Knicks overcame a 41-point outing by Kyrie Irving and a wild final minute to stay undefeated at home this season.

The Nets wiped out deficits in both halves, but a flurry of bad jumpers and turnovers in the fourth quarter proved too costly against the Bulls.

Ricky Rubio, who has not played since March because of an injury, gave Minnesota a much-needed lift in an overtime win over Dallas.

The white sleeve on Ricky Rubio’s left knee served as a reminder of what he went through to get back on the court.

Zach Randolph scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Utah Jazz 99-86 on Saturday night to halt a three-game losing streak.

Tony Parker had 22 points and eight assists to help the San Antonio Spurs beat the Boston Celtics 103-88 on Saturday night.

The San Antonio Spurs broke out of a two-game losing streak in style, demolishing the Boston Celtics 103-88 on Saturday to claw closer to Oklahoma City’s Western Conference lead.

Matt Barnes scored 21 points, Blake Griffin had 18 points and 11 rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers routed the cold-shooting Milwaukee Bucks 111-85 on Saturday night for their ninth consecutive victory.

Joakim Noah had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and helped force a key turnover Saturday night as the Chicago Bulls held off the Brooklyn Nets 83-82.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James came up with the idea several hours before the game.

Glen Davis and Arron Afflalo each scored 20 points as the Orlando Magic handed the Charlotte Bobcats their 11th straight loss Saturday night, 107-98.

Last month, former Knicks center Patrick Ewing received the inaugural Johnny Bach Award from Fordham University.

Raymond Felton scored 25 points, Tyson Chandler had 23, and the New York Knicks overcame Kyrie Irving’s career-high 41 points and the absence of Carmelo Anthony to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-102 on Saturday night.

David West had 23 points and George Hill added 18 points and seven assists to lead the Indiana Pacers to an 88-77 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.

David Lee had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors completed an impressive road trip with a 115-93 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.