The season is on the line for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but after a third straight loss in the Eastern Conference Finals, Evan Mobley made one thing clear: panic is not the approach.
Following Cleveland’s 121-108 loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday night at Rocket Arena, Mobley repeatedly returned to one message — confidence, accountability and survival as the Cavaliers try to avoid elimination in Game 4.
“You can’t lose confidence,” Mobley said after Cleveland fell behind 3-0 in the series. “We’ve been working on it all year. Sometimes they don’t go in. Next game all of them can go in. You don’t know. That’s why you got to shoot them with confidence and keep playing the right way.”
The Cavaliers struggled again from long range, finishing 12-for-41 from 3-point range after shooting below their season standard through the first two games. Cleveland also made only 12 of 19 free throws while New York shot 55.8% from the field and knocked down 11 3-pointers.
Mobley finished with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting and added six rebounds, but Cleveland never recovered after the Knicks opened with a 9-1 burst and controlled the game throughout. Jalen Brunson led New York with 30 points, while Mikal Bridges scored 22 and OG Anunoby added 21.
Even after the latest defeat, Mobley said belief inside Cleveland’s locker room has not changed.
“Get the next one. That’s all we can do,” Mobley said. “Backs against the wall. I think we all just have to be better as a team defensively and then better offensively as well. There’s a few things we definitely can clean up, but backs against the wall, you got to win the next one.”
Mobley acknowledged that Cleveland’s defensive issues are no longer about changing schemes as much as improving execution against a Knicks offense that has now won 10 straight playoff games.
“It’s always that honestly,” Mobley said when asked about scheme versus execution. “In order to get a stop you got to stop the man in front of you. And whoever’s in help side got to make efforts to make it difficult as well. It’s a team effort and we got to be better. The scheme is there but we got to find a way to actually get the stop no matter what it takes.”
The All-Star big man also pointed to offensive details that must improve after committing five turnovers against New York’s aggressive defense.
“I think they’re doing a good job being in the gaps. They’re playing the cat and mouse game pretty well,” Mobley said. “A few times I just got too deep and they got a hand on it. But I think also offensively we can do a better job of getting in windows and getting to our spot so it’s an easier read for everyone.”
Fatigue has become part of the conversation after Cleveland played every other day since April 29, but Mobley rejected excuses.
“There’s definitely a toll there, but you’re in the Eastern Conference Finals, so there’s no excuses right now,” Mobley said. “No one’s going to give you an excuse because of that.”
With the Cavaliers now one loss from elimination, Mobley said the response is simple.
“The best thing to do is just come together as a team and fight our way out,” he said. “Take it game by game, step by step, and focus on what’s in front of you.”
