New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Carmelo Anthony vs. Lebron James Is Matchup To Watch

Dec 20, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) warms up before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Philadelphia 76ers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Return Of Uncle Drew

In the first two matchups the Knicks had to only worry about two of the big three for the Cavaliers, as only LeBron James and Kevin Love were healthy. This time around, they will have to worry about the third musketeer, as Kyrie Irving has made his return to the court.

Irving made his season debut over the weekend against the Philadelphia 76ers. He struggled to find his groove early on, admitting that the minutes restriction had him pressing a little bit. But, once he got comfortable, he looked like the Irving of old. He finished the game with 12 points, one rebound, four assists and two steals in only 17 minutes of play. He finished the game 5-of-12 from the field after starting 0-for-5.

The Knicks, while improved defensively, still struggle sometimes keeping opposing point guards out of the paint. Jose Calderon is not getting any quicker as he gets older, so we could see some more of Jerian Grant in tonight’s game. Calderon got torched by Mo Williams in the first two meetings, as he scored 22 and 20 points in the game. Expect Irving to go at him early and often as he gets his endurance back up.

It is tough to hide Calderon defensively when the Knicks are using a traditional lineup, so he may have to take his lumps and just hope that Irving’s minutes limit isn’t raised too much in his second game of the season.

Next: Cut Down On The Fouls