The Cleveland Cavaliers came out with a must-win situation on their home court Monday evening, as the New York Knicks held a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the first quarter, Cleveland came out looking good, building a quick lead against the visitors courtesy of their All-Star Donovan Mitchell hitting several big baskets.
Unfortunately for the Cavs, the Knicks did what they had in previous games, with an aggressive intensity to fight for rebounds and loose balls, while also knocking down their shots.
While Cleveland seemed to remain in the game for a short while, New York quickly built a 20-point lead, and the margin grew in the second quarter.
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Mitchell showed clear frustration over his team’s early struggles as they trailed by a large deficit, with video footage emerging during a timeout.
In a clip shared by Underdog NBA on X, Mitchell appears to be coaching the Cavaliers more than Kenny Atkinson does, as he shouts at teammates about what’s needed to improve their efforts.
The Cavs’ Jarrett Allen is seated on the bench and nodding as Mitchell sounds off, with Mobley standing nearby to listen to what his teammate is saying.
Fans reacted to the footage, calling attention to Mitchell doing his all and to teammates who hadn’t contributed much in the Cavaliers’ Game 4 effort.
“Yeah Cavs are dead, Spida is the only one playing, and they’re down 25 already in the 2nd,” one commenter wrote.
“Jarrett Allen siting there with 14mins 0 pts and 1 Reb nodding his head like he’s about to do something,” someone replied to the X video.
“Sorry Don. This team gave up a long time ago. Look on the bright side, I heard the weather in Cancun is gonna be nice,” a commenter said.
Others commented, “Should’ve been doing this after game 1 lol this is just theatrics,” and “The highest paid starting 5 is getting swept.”
Things didn’t get better in Cleveland for Game 4, as the Knicks held a 26-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, seemingly signaling the demise of the Cavaliers’ 2026 playoff run. Mitchell was leading his squad with 28 points.
This Cavaliers team may have worn itself down, going the full seven games in their first- and second-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons. The latter of these teams was the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and required Cleveland to beat them in Detroit.
There’s also the possibility that they don’t have the sort of roster to compete with the East’s powerhouse contenders like New York. However, Mitchell gave his all in their must-win game against the Knicks.
After becoming an All-Star with the Utah Jazz, “Spida” joined the Cavaliers via trade back in 2022. This past season, the team made a midseason trade to acquire James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers, but that move may not have addressed what was missing from this roster.
With a disappointing exit from the Eastern Conference Finals, speculation will likely heat up regarding the Cavs’ offseason plans, which could involve a major trade or somehow landing LeBron James, if he decides to return.
Seeing King James back in Cleveland to close out his career would be a major attraction and could boost their chances at contending, but one has to wonder which other stars the Cavs would keep on the roster with him.
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For more about the NBA Playoffs, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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