Cavaliers’ rebuild faces stern test after historic Game 1 collapse
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The Cleveland Cavaliers spent nearly eight years piecing together a roster capable of contending without LeBron James. On Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, that work appeared fragile after a 22-point fourth-quarter lead evaporated into a 115-104 overtime loss to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
The Knicks closed regulation on a staggering 44-11 run, handing Cleveland its first defeat in 28 games this season when leading by 20 or more and delivering the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA postseason history. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Cleveland’s uneven playoff road
The Cavaliers already survived two seven-game series this spring, edging Toronto after a 2-0 start and Detroit after holding a 3-2 lead with Game 6 at home. Tuesday’s meltdown added another hurdle for a club seeking its first NBA Finals appearance since James departed for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.
“I would do it again in a heartbeat with this group,” said Donovan Mitchell, whose 29 points and six steals could not prevent the loss. The 29-year-old guard, a seven-time All-Star still chasing his first championship, emphasized guiding younger teammates such as Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Dean Wade through playoff turbulence. “I don’t call it pressure; I call it expectations,” he said.
From wilderness to contention
James’ exit left the franchise “rooted in the culture of LeBron,” a team source told ESPN, and Cleveland stumbled to a 60-159 record over the next three seasons. President of basketball operations Koby Altman responded by prioritizing player development and targeting individuals who considered Cleveland a destination rather than a stopgap.
The turnaround began in 2021 with three major additions: center Jarrett Allen via trade, No. 3 overall draft pick Evan Mobley and forward Lauri Markkanen. Combined with previous first-round selections Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, plus veteran Kevin Love, the Cavaliers climbed to 44 wins that season.
Altman pushed “go” again in September 2022, acquiring Mitchell from Utah for Markkanen, Sexton and three unprotected first-round picks. In the four seasons since, the club has reached the playoffs every year, advanced past the first round three times and now sits in the conference finals.
Midseason shake-up
Seeking another spark, Cleveland traded Garland for former MVP James Harden in February and added guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder in a separate deal for De’Andre Hunter. Head coach Kenny Atkinson called the moves “what we needed,” citing the group’s added toughness despite limited time together.
Harden scored 30 in a Game 5 overtime win against Detroit but struggled Tuesday as Jalen Brunson shot 7-for-8 against him in the fourth quarter and overtime. The 36-year-old holds a $42.3 million player option for next season, and both sides have discussed an extension, according to ESPN.
High stakes on and off the floor
Minutes before Game 1, Cavs players learned that Dallas fired head coach Jason Kidd two years after a Finals appearance, underscoring the league’s unforgiving climate. Cleveland owns the third-best regular-season record (215 wins) over the past four years but ranks only sixth in playoff victories. Boston and Oklahoma City, the two teams with more wins, each secured a championship in that span.
Owner Dan Gilbert signaled his commitment by paying this season’s league-high $68.7 million luxury-tax bill, the franchise’s first since 2018. Last spring’s second-round exit to Indiana after a 64-win campaign “felt like getting punched in the face,” a source said, prompting the latest roster overhaul.
Now the Cavaliers must rebound quickly to avoid a second postseason defeat to New York in four years and to validate an extensive, costly rebuild designed to thrive without relying on another LeBron James homecoming.
Source: ESPN
