The Cleveland Cavaliers controlled Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals for most of Tuesday night before everything unraveled in the final eight minutes against the New York Knicks.
After Cleveland blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead in a 115-104 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden, Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell did not try to soften the result.
“We’re up 22,” Mitchell said postgame. “As simple as that can’t happen.”
The Cavaliers led 93-71 with 7:52 remaining before Jalen Brunson ignited New York’s comeback. Brunson finished with 38 points as the Knicks closed regulation on a 30-8 run before dominating overtime.
Mitchell scored 29 points on 12-for-23 shooting and added six steals, but Cleveland failed to execute late offensively and defensively. The All-Star guard said the loss was frustrating, though he repeatedly emphasized the series remains in its early stages.
“It’s one loss,” Mitchell said. “It’s a bad loss, but all we can do is go back and watch the film and fix it.”
The Cavaliers were outscored 44-11 after taking their 22-point lead. Mitchell acknowledged Cleveland lost control defensively once Brunson found rhythm attacking downhill in the fourth quarter.
“It was a little comfortable,” Mitchell said about Brunson’s late scoring surge. “We could have done some things collectively and we did and that’s on us.”
New York repeatedly targeted James Harden defensively during the comeback, but Mitchell defended his teammate and refused to place blame on one player.
“This isn’t on him. It’s on all of us,” Mitchell said. “We still had opportunities on the other end as well to take advantage and score and we didn’t.”
Mitchell also pointed to Cleveland’s missed opportunities offensively after the Knicks erased the deficit.
“We got some good looks and we missed,” Mitchell said. “They made some, they got bounces as well, but that can’t happen.”
Cleveland shot 16-for-50 from 3-point range and committed 19 turnovers. Mitchell did not score in overtime and attempted only one shot after regulation began. When asked whether he felt lost offensively late, he said the answers would come from film study rather than immediate reactions.
“I’ll watch the film and figure it out,” Mitchell said. “I don’t think it’s anything to overreact to.”
Despite the collapse, Mitchell stressed that Cleveland’s performance over the first three quarters showed the Cavaliers can still control the series. The Cavs had won back-to-back road games in Detroit to close the previous round and appeared poised for another postseason road victory before the momentum shifted.
“We played pretty solid for three quarters or so,” Mitchell said. “We’ll make adjustments and go from there.”
The Knicks now hold a 1-0 lead after producing one of the largest fourth-quarter playoff comebacks in NBA history. Cleveland, meanwhile, faces the challenge of quickly resetting emotionally before Thursday’s Game 2.
Mitchell said the message inside the locker room was direct.
“We lost. We blew it,” Mitchell said. “All right, let’s respond for Game 2. Simple as that.”
The Cavaliers will try to avoid falling into a 2-0 series deficit when the Eastern Conference finals continue Thursday night in New York.
