The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading home down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference finals, and Jarrett Allen did not try to hide the pressure after Thursday’s 109-93 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
“It’s the reality of the situation,” Allen said postgame. “It’s definitely not where we want to be. Is it stressful? Yeah. It is, because your back is against the wall and everything’s on the line.”
The Cavaliers now face the same situation they escaped in the second round against the Detroit Pistons, when they recovered from an 0-2 deficit to win the series in seven games. Allen referenced that experience multiple times while discussing Cleveland’s mindset entering Game 3 on Saturday.
“That’s just how our whole playoffs has been,” Allen said. “Our backs against the wall. We like to keep things interesting. We like to keep everybody stressing about what the next game is going to be like.”
The veteran center also defended Cleveland’s overall approach despite another difficult offensive night. The Cavaliers shot 39% from the field, 26% from three-point range and missed 10 free throws. Allen finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points.
“Just our inability to make shots tonight,” Allen said. “We all said in the locker room, the process is right. We truly believe in that. Just couldn’t make shots.”
The Knicks took control with an 18-0 run in the third quarter after the game was tied at 53. Josh Hart punished Cleveland’s defensive scheme by scoring a playoff career-high 26 points and making five 3-pointers, while Jalen Brunson added 19 points and a playoff career-high 14 assists.
Allen acknowledged that Cleveland’s plan focused heavily on limiting Brunson.
“Obviously he’s an NBA player, he’s going to make three-pointers,” Allen said about Hart. “Sometimes the plan just doesn’t go to plan. Sometimes he got hot, not even at the three-point line. He did everything on offense.”
The Cavaliers have struggled to consistently involve Allen and Evan Mobley offensively during stretches of the series. Allen admitted both big men may need to become more aggressive in initiating action instead of waiting for plays to develop.
“Sometimes I feel like we can just go set the pick, stop waiting for a play,” Allen said. “Initiating the offense by just going and setting a screen out of the blue.”
Later in the press conference, Allen expanded on that thought after being asked whether Cleveland drifted away from its successful formula.
“I think the previous question was can Evan and I dominate the game more by just going and setting screens ourselves,” Allen said. “That part of the process is on us. Evan and I need to speak up more.”
Despite the deficit, Allen said the Cavaliers believe their response in Game 2 after a difficult Game 1 showed the group can still recover mentally.
“We came out in that first quarter trying to throw the first punch,” Allen said. “Now that we’re down by two, it’s the same story. We have to go out there heads up and play our hardest basketball.”
Game 3 shifts to Cleveland on Saturday, with the Cavaliers trying to avoid falling into a 3-0 series deficit against a Knicks team chasing its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
