05/25/26 11:59:00
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05/25 23:57 CDT Cavaliers overwhelmed in Game 4 by Knicks, who sweep series and
send Cleveland into uncertain summer
Cavaliers overwhelmed in Game 4 by Knicks, who sweep series and send Cleveland
into uncertain summer
By TOM WITHERS
Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) --- Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers finally got past the
second round and face-planted in the Eastern Conference finals.
They weren't ready for the Knicks or the big stage.
The lights were too bright again.
Cleveland's season ended with a resounding, demoralizing and embarrassing
130-93 loss on Monday night in Game 4 to the New York Knicks, who swept the
series and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
Playing on tired and wobbly legs after failing to put Toronto and Detroit away
before seven games in the earlier rounds, the Cavs, whose fate was sealed when
they blew a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost Game 1 at Madison
Square Garden, had no answer for anything the Knicks threw at them.
They got out-played, out-shot, out-rebounded and out-coached.
"We did this to ourselves," said Mitchell, who scored 31 in the close-out loss.
"We didn't give our team a chance because we didn't take care of business. You
can't play with your food. We had an opportunity in Game 1 and we blew that.
"We had an opportunity, but give credit where credit is due."
And now that they've fallen short, the Cavs head into what will likely be a
tumultuous summer that will trigger a major roster overhaul and perhaps other
moves.
This wasn't the plan. Cleveland made a blockbuster trade at the deadline in
February, sending guard Darius Garland, part of its "Core Four" to the Los
Angeles Clippers for James Harden, who was supposed to take pressure off
Mitchell.
It never happened.
Cleveland's top player approved the Garland swap, but other than a few games
here and there, he and Harden never truly meshed as intended. The Cavs, who
shot just 28.9% (48 of 166) on 3-pointers in the series, never outgrew their
growing pains.
"This was the first time going through what we were going to go through," said
Harden. "Now we have to take another two steps and get even better. ... I feel
like we didn't have a fair chance. We did play one quarter of Cavs basketball
offensively. If you're not making shots, you're not going to beat anybody."
Harden has a $42.3 million player option for next season that he's expected to
decline to re-sign with the Cavs as a free agent. But the 36-year-old didn't
perform up to offensive expectations and was a virtual turnstile on defense.
Mitchell's future is more complicated. He can be offered a five-year, $350
million super-max extension by the Cavs as early as this offseason, but the
team will likely wait due to several financial factors, and still must decide
if the seven-time All-Star is worth the investment.
With the Knicks up by 33 in the fourth, Mitchell and Cleveland's other starters
were mercifully replaced. The 29-year-old went to the bench and watched a team
he once cheered for as a kid win its 11th straight playoff game.
Mitchell feels the Cavs took a significant step this season, and he's
determined to get Cleveland a title.
"I love it here," he said when asked about the extension. "I don't know how
else to say it. I have no doubt these guys can get there. We have unfinished
business."
Cleveland's stunning flame-out in the conference finals is only going to fuel
more speculation about coach Kenny Atkinson's future. He guided the team to a
No. 1 seed in his first season a year ago before a disappointing, second-round
exit against Indiana.
Atkinson helped the Cavs take a step deeper into the postseason, but it's not
certain that will be enough to satisfy demanding owner Dan Gilbert, who has
dropped more than $400 million on a team that hasn't delivered him a second
title.
Not long after the game, Gilbert went on social media to give a brief
assessment of the season.
"We took a step ahead this spring, but we are nowhere near where we need to
be," he posted. "I can't thank the fans enough for the support this year. We
will dig in all summer and do everything we possibly can to take the next step.
We will grind until we get there."
Harden and Mitchell staunchly defended Atkinson.
"We did something we haven't done since 2018," Mitchell said. "I love Kenny. We
love Kenny. We ride with Kenny. That's all that matters. We're in this
together."
New York exposed all of Cleveland's on-court flaws and may have set the stage
for Gilbert to make even bolder moves. There's little doubt that seeing his
team get completely overwhelmed in Game 4 --- with thousands of New York fans
chanting "Knicks in 4!" --- stung badly.
The Cavs will closely monitor superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo's unsettled
situation in Milwaukee. The Bucks have reportedly had past interest in
24-year-old Cleveland forward Evan Mobley.
And then there's LeBron James and the possibility the NBA's all-time scoring
leader could bring his storied career full circle by coming back home a second
time. He's a free agent, currently at odds with the Los Angeles Lakers and
surveying the landscape.
At the moment, Cleveland appears to need him again.
When asked, Mitchell wouldn't even entertain the possibility of joining forces
with James. His primary concern was what went wrong against the Knicks.
"We got swept," he said. "We've got to own it."
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
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