A vanishing offensive identity and a hobbled Donovan Mitchell suddenly have Cleveland reeling in the Eastern Conference Finals. After abandoning their interior dominance, the fatigued Cavs must find energy to overcome a daunting 0-2 hole.
The Cleveland Cavaliers deserve some credit. In the aftermath of a disastrous Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which saw them blow a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter to the New York Knicks to give the contest away, the wine and gold showed up with clear heads for Game 2 Thursday night.
That helped produce some of the best offense the Cavs have played to date during this postseason run. In the first half of the game, Cleveland's process on offense was immaculate.
It moved the ball around the half-court, kept the turnovers to a minimum (just four at the break) and leaned into their bigs, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, who combined for 23 points across the first two quarters.
The threat those two posed then freed up others for open looks. Sharpshooter Sam Merrill took a whopping six threes in the first half and most of them were perfect looks. Unfortunately, two nights removed from drilling four of them, Merrill missed all six.
Sometimes a game simply comes down to that: which team made their shots and which team didn't? That cliché played itself out as the game wore on. Cleveland went to the half down only four, thanks to their well-intentioned offense.
That disappeared in the second half. Understandably, Donovan Mitchell tried to get himself going after scoring just seven points before the half, and went 5-for-8 in the third for 11 points. The rest of the team only took seven shots, though, and Mobley and Allen, who had been so brilliant early, combined for 4 points on 3 shots. All of them belonged to Allen.
Trailing by 15 going into the fourth, the abandonment of what was working early on, only got worse, and when the dust settled on a 109-93 loss, Mobley hadn't made or missed a single field goal in the second half. Allen only had those four second-half points.
Cleveland's role players were non-existent, while the Knicks got an offensive explosion from Josh Hart, who the Cavs dared to beat them from deep. He obliged, going 5-of-11 from three and finishing with 26 total points.
Again, make or miss league. Hart and his teammates made their shots and ultimately pulled away for a 109-93 win.
Now, the Cavs find themselves down 0-2 as the series shifts to Cleveland. It's not unfamiliar territory.
Just last series, the wine and gold went down 0-2 against Detroit, only to win three straight, then close it out on the road in Game 7 this past Sunday. But not all 0-2 deficits are created equal, especially when you advance, you've played in two straight series that went a full seven games and have played every other day since April 29.
Energy is a real concern at this point for Cleveland, especially when it comes to Mitchell. He has lacked explosiveness throughout the playoffs, been unable to get downhill with the ease he normally shows, and at times has turned into a glorified three-point shooter, but even those aren't falling (he's shooting just 31% from deep during this run).
He looks hurt, but continues to say "I'm great," as he did again after Thursday's loss. But head coach Kenny Atkinson notably told the broadcast that he sees what everyone else sees, which suggests something is wrong and Mitchell is simply keeping it to himself.
It's admirable, no doubt, that Mitchell doesn't want to use injuries as an excuse. But it also spells doomsday for this postseason run if this is all he's got left.
From a mental standpoint, fans can trust this team to flush these first two and come ready for Game 3 at Rocket Arena Saturday night. That's the one area Cleveland has earned everyone's trust at this point. They are largely unflappable and don't let one game impact another.
But the Knicks aren't the Pistons, or the Toronto Raptors, for that matter. They have far more scoring threats for the Cavaliers to be concerned about, and they're a much fresher team.
It all just feels insurmountable.
Cavs Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavaliers. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
