That one definitely stings. No loss ever feels good. But losses like these are incredibly disheartening. For all their mistakes, the Cavaliers still had a chance to win this game right up until the very end. But you can't continue to let an opponent outwork you, give up tons of second chance rebounds, or rely on one guy to win the game.
Donovan Mitchell is an absolute freak, and he's probably the most talented player between the Cavaliers and Knicks right now. But he cannot win games by himself. And he shouldn't have to. It's frustrating to see him score 38 points, and singlehandedly almost will us to victory...only for the Knicks to scoop up a second chance rebound and convert it into points to ice the game. I'm sad for him, disappointed in the lack of effort and energy from his teammates, and a little worried about how this might affect the mental state of a young team that's not yet used to the Playoffs. Even though it wasn't a blowout loss, the Cavaliers still got punched in the mouth a little bit. Where did everything go south? Let's take a look at the Keys to Victory.
Get Mitchell going while slowing down Brunson
The Cavaliers actually seemed to keep Brunson somewhat in check in the first half, which was definitely a surprise to me. The kid is incredibly dangerous. He only tallied six points in the first half. But then unfortunately for Cleveland, he exploded for 21 points in the second half as part of a clutch 27-point night.
Brunson may not have scored as many points as Donovan Mitchell. But he seemed to have an answer for every time Mitchell, or any other Cavalier tried to spark a rally. Those are arguably the most frustrating kinds of games to watch as a fan. Cleveland was never out of it. But it always seemed like the lead (and the win) was just out of reach. A 1-0 lead in the series for Cleveland was tantalizingly close. The carrot was right there. And yanked away at the last second. And that's thanks in large part to the clutch play of Jalen Brunson and his teammates. He made the biggest plays of the game when it mattered the most. Sometimes, all you can do is just tip your hat to an opposing player when they beat your team, and move on to the next game.
Defend the three
Neither team was good from beyond the arc tonight, as New York went 8-29 from three-point range (27.6%) and Cleveland was only slightly better, going 10-31 (32.3%). But again, to tie into the first Key to Victory, it seemed like whenever Cleveland got a big bucket to inch closer, the Knicks got one back to gain a little breathing room. It'll be interesting to see if/how both teams adjust in this aspect of the game. Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeaux, and Cavaliers Head Coach JB Bickerstaff can't be happy about how their teams performed from downtown tonight.
Take advantage of second chance opportunities
Excuse me for a second folks. I need to take a few deep breaths so I don't smash my computer screen out of frustration and anger....
This area of the game was absolutely infuriating if you're a Cavaliers fan. There's no other way to put it.
New York clearly won the rebounding battle tonight at 51-38. But it was the second chance rebounds that absolutely doomed the Cavaliers tonight. Every time Cleveland could have kept a rally going with a defensive stop and rebound, the Knicks seemed to just have more energy, heart and "want to" in order to come away with the ball at the most critical moments in the game.
The Cavaliers absolutely HAVE to kick their energy up several notches between now and Tuesday night. Otherwise they could end up falling behind 0-2, which is a dangerous position to be in when the series eventually shifts to New York and Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4.
If I'm JB Bickerstaff, I'm having my guys work extra hard with rebounding in practice tomorrow. No day off. No slack. These guys need to practice that situation over and over again until it's drilled into their mind. If the Cavaliers come away with even half of those critical rebounds late in Game 1? They win. No doubt in my mind. They have to get the job done on the glass to have any chance of coming back, or possibly winning the series later on. Otherwise, it could be a relatively quick Playoff exit.
The bench needs to show up
"Yes, Cleveland Police Department? I'd like to put out a Missing Person Report for the entire Cavaliers bench. I don't know where they are."
My perhaps biggest fear about this team came true in this game tonight. The Cavaliers' bench was woefully nonexistent tonight. I would say they disappeared, but that would mean they showed up at any point tonight, which they didn't. The Knicks reserves thoroughly embarrassed Cleveland's bench tonight, outscoring them 37-14, with the biggest contributor off the bench for the Cavs being Cedi Osman with nine points.
This will absolutely never get the job done. Not in the regular season, and certainly not in the pressure packed atmosphere of the Playoffs.
It's certainly nice to have a talented starting five. But the other guys need to pull their weight too. I view a team's bench players as kind of being like a "safety net." If a team's star players have an off night, it's up to the reserves coming in off the bench to either hold down the fort, or show up, ball out, and take over the game until the starters can get their groove back.
Along with what the Cavs' mindset might be after losing a game this way, this is probably my biggest concern. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are fantastic players. But what happens if one or both of them has an off night? Could we count on bench players to come in and generate some kind of spark? Right now, the answer is a resounding no. And that worries me going forward, whether the Cavaliers end up winning this series or not.
But the Cavaliers won't have long to dwell on what could've been in Game 1. Game 2 is right around the corner on Tuesday. If they can take care of the basketball, match or exceed the energy the Knicks showed tonight, and get clutch defensive stops, they can tie the series at a game apiece before it heads to New York. But this young team has a lot of work to do to get ready in a short amount of time. Hopefully JB Bickerstaff rallies the troops, and they come out firing on all cylinders in Game 2!
Until then, Go Cavs!
Stat Leaders:
Donovan Mitchell, 38 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists
Darius Garland, 17 points, assist
Jarrett Allen, 14 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists (double-double)
Source: ESPN
Picture Credit: ESPN
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