Sports

THESE CAVS AREN’T HOME-ICIDAL

BIG ups to the Cavaliers, who manhandled the Mavs Sunday at the Hock Shop to reach 60 wins for the first time in franchise history. They began this week two games up on the Lakers in the quest to be home throughout the playoffs. Big deal! The Knicks have done that for years.

Every once and a great while, it’s only fair readers are given room to release.

George Caballero: “If LeBron James wins a title this year or next, then he’ll have delivered the city of Cleveland’s first pro title since the Browns in 1964. He’ll have reached the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, and planted a Cleveland flag there. Mission accomplished. But the highest mountain on Earth is still Mt. Everest, aka, Madison Square Garden.

“I’m no hockey guy, but what’s the first thing you think of when you hear the words, ‘Mark Messier’? You think of him hoisting the Stanley Cup at MSG over his head in a Rangers jersey, ending New York’s 54-year drought. Then, and only then, do you also remember all the Stanley Cups he also won in Edmonton.

“People will say that one or two titles and LeBron will want to stay in Cleveland for the dynasty. But LeBron James is the dynasty. Wherever he goes, the dynasty goes with him.”

Bob Page: “Madison Square Garden, like so many things in New York, is completely overrated. Basketball’s ‘gaudiest stage’ is the Staples Center. The Lakers even get much better celebs . . . The facility itself is now borderline decrepit.”

Douglas Branch: “What in the world do the Knicks owe Patrick Ewing? If senility doesn’t betray me, didn’t he jump-start the salary-cap boulder steaming downhill by demanding an exit trade? Wasn’t $18 million earmarked for removal and flexibility?

“Wasn’t Glen Rice’s bloated contract [imposed by the shyster agent, David Falk, who pushed for Patrick’s exodus — vs. being a calming influence — in order to help his free-agent client who’d fallen into disfavor with the Lakers] brought aboard and then re-routed for worse ones (Fatty Taylor)?

“Rice’s sole contribution was placing the medical term “plantar fasciitis” into the basketball lexicon. Who knew he admired Medical Bill Cartwright growing up?

“P.S.: Only the Knicks could scour the globe and find a 20-year old with a back condition worse than Fred Sanford’s heart. Now I understand Donnie Walsh’s Larry Bird comparison.”

Len Gilman: “My memory of Howie Komives is him getting a butt-whipping by Al Attles. No knock on Howie since Al did this to everyone. The only thing that stopped Al was Wilt [Chamberlain] pulling him off someone like Zelmo Beatty. I remember Howie doing a number on Rick Barry. But everyone kicked his butt, too.”

Martin Carus: “One of the funniest plays I ever saw happened in Philly at the Convention Center. Howie is preparing for an inbounds pass. Never makes one, dribbles straight to the basket for a lay-up.”

Sam Lefkowitz on the Knicks: “Smoke, Mirrors & Mike D’Antoni. They have a four playing the five . . . a three playing the four . . . a reserve starting at point . . . a high-energy guy off the bench that gives them wins, but makes the team worse . . . and a No. 6 draft pick [he may develop into a decent player] that looks like a boy amongst men.

“They’ll be lucky to win 32 games this season, and here’s the kicker — next season is more of the same. Chris Duhon is set at the point. Larry Hughes is the two, Wilson Chandler is the three. Al Harrington is the four. And David Lee is the five. Or Duhon-Hughes-Harrington-Lee & Eddy Curry [Jarred Jeffries].

“Either way, they’re going nowhere, albeit in D’Antoni’s system, they’ll get there faster.”

Michael Fahey: “When will D’Antoni learn that wearing your emotions on your sleeve isn’t always such a great idea? Late in the fourth quarter, with the Knicks clinging to a small lead versus your Paper Clips, Harrington hangs on the rim and gets hit with a tech. D’Antoni responds with one of his patented ‘You just cost us the game’ temper tantrums. Of course, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“I’m all for punishing a bone-headed play immediately, but with a benching, not a temper tantrum. Save the Terrible Twos, Mike, for after the game, in the locker room.”

Lou Gaglia: “Bill James described Don Mattingly as ‘100 percent ballplayer, zero percent bull.’ How many present-day players can be described this way? Besides, uh, Little Nate [Robinson], of course, the ‘face’ of the Knicks.”

Jay Weiser: “I’m about 10-15 years too young to have seen Harry Gallatin play, but I was puzzled by the Knicks’ rewriting of records, too — this Hall of Famer did lead them to the Finals three times. Maybe they got used to Stalinist history during the Isiah Thomas/Larry Brown years and couldn’t stop.

“FYI, I looked up Walt Bellamy’s career; turns out he was the Stephon Marbury of his day. His arrival in New York, Detroit and Atlanta resulted in drops of about 10 wins. His departure from the former two resulted in comparable jumps.

“Presumably that makes Starbury, too, a Hall of Fame lock — the ultimate impact player.”

peter.vecsey@nypost.com