Cavs Ready for Some Home Cooking in the Eastern Conference Finals

The Knicks also haven’t lost since Game 3 of their First Round matchup with Atlanta on April 23 – a nine-game run culminating with Thursday night’s 16-point win at the Garden. 

Donovan Mitchell, who’s been his rock-solid self throughout the playoffs and again through the first two games of the ECF – averaging 27.5 PPG on 49 percent shooting – put it bluntly after Thursday’s loss. 

“Like, (the Knicks) took care of home court,” said Mitchell. “We could've come in here, lost by one, lost by 40. And I've said this in the past series before: like, they protected home court, and we just gotta go out there and do the same, and that's ultimately what it is. It would have been great to steal Game 2. That was the idea. We had an opportunity to do it, and we didn't. So, go home for Game 3 and protect home court like we have been.” 

The Cavaliers’ postseason run has been completely unpredictable – a 16-game rollercoaster ride that continues on Saturday night in Cleveland. But there is one thing that’s completely predictable as they return home: That the Rocket Arena crowd – one that hasn’t witnessed an Eastern Conference Finals game since a Game 6 win over Boston back on May 25, 2018 – will be deafening when the Wine and Gold take the floor. 

The series is probably only going to get crazier from here, but Jarrett Allen realizes that his teammates have grown comfortable with life on the edge. 

“That's just how our whole playoffs have been,” smiled the veteran center. “You know, our backs against the wall. We like to keep things interesting. We like to keep everybody stressing about what the next game is gonna be like, and it's no different now.  We’ve just got to take care of home court.”

Nobody said it’d be easy. 

In fact, after the Cavaliers first two games of the postseason, it’s been nothing but spills and thrills every other day since. And if you’re feeling a little emotionally exhausted, you’re not alone. 

But it’s become obvious through the first 16 games of this current playoff run: This Cavaliers squad has been at its best with their backs against the wall.

That’s where they find themselves headed into Memorial Day weekend after dropping Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden – with the Knicks blowing the affair open with an 18-0 run early in the third quarter. That loss came two nights after a devastating defeat in which New York erased a 22-point lead in the final eight minutes of regulation before pulling away in an overtime session.

“It's definitely not where we want to be,” said Jarrett Allen following Thursday’s loss. “It’s (stressful), you know, because your back is against the wall and everything's on the line, your whole season is on the line. You know the statistics if you go down 3-0. So, yeah, there’s stress behind it. I don't know the word for it, but is there an extra fight that we have to give for the next game? Absolutely.” 

What keeps the Cavaliers encouraged is that they’ve been here before. 

When R.J. Barrett’s three-point attempt sprung up off the heel of the rim, hovering above the backboard for an eternity before dropping through the hoop to give the Raptors a Game 6 victory in Toronto, the Cavs playoff hopes looked bleak. But two days later at Rocket Arena, Cleveland used a 9-0 run to start the second half, blew things open down the stretch and advanced to take on the Conference-leading Pistons. 

In the East Semis, after falling in the first two games, experts predicted imminent doom after the Cavs dropped their first home contest of the playoffs in spectacular fashion – getting blasted by 21 points in a Game 6 closeout opportunity in Cleveland two nights after erasing a nine-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation in Detroit. 

Two nights after that loss, the Wine & Gold rolled into Motown and demolished the 60-win Pistons by three touchdowns – opening up a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and never looking back to advance to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2018. 

“I mean, we're in the same place as last Round, so the good thing is, we've been here before,” said Evan Mobley after Thursday’s Game 2 loss. “So, it's nothing that we haven't fought through before and prevailed. We just need to win our next one at home and keep it moving.” 

Mobley was outstanding on the defensive end again on Thursday – adding another pair of blocks to his total. Last year’s Defensive Player of the Year has now posted multiple rejections in each of his last nine outings, piling up 24 swats since the start of the Second Round. 

Offensively, it was a mixed bag for Mobley in Game 2. After scoring 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting in the first half, he went scoreless without attempting a shot after intermission. 

Some home cooking is bound to help the 5^th-year big man, who’s averaging 18.0 PPG on 63 percent shooting, including 45 percent from deep, in seven games at Rocket Arena in the 2026 playoffs. 

Kenny Atkinson knows that Mobley isn’t the only Cavalier ready for a home reset. His squad has played a game every other day since April 29 – with two Game 7s in the mix. 

“We could’ve easily stolen Game 1 (in New York),” said Atkinson. “I thought our process was right (Thursday night). So that gives me confidence going home. Obviously, we’ve got the great home crowd and played well at home in the playoffs. We need to get our legs under us. But honestly, we know (the Knicks’) rest advantage, so getting home always helps with that.”

Atkinson is referring to the Knicks long layoff after sweeping the Sixers in dominating fashion – a nine-day break before facing Cleveland in Game 1 on Tuesday night.