The Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in a precarious position following their second consecutive loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals Thursday evening. With the best-of-seven series now at 2-0 in favor of New York, concerns continue to mount regarding star player Donovan Mitchell’s physical condition.
When pressed about his health status, Mitchell remained emphatic in his response.
“I’m great,” he said. “Great. Great.”
This marks the second time this week the team’s top scorer has faced inquiries about potential injuries. His struggles were particularly evident in the series opener, where Cleveland squandered a commanding 22-point advantage in a devastating defeat.
Thursday’s contest showed some improvement from Mitchell, who managed to rebound from a sluggish seven-point first half to add 19 points after the break, totaling 26 for the game.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson observed that his star player appeared to lack his typical explosiveness during the first two quarters.
“After halftime, I thought he was moving well,” Atkinson said. “Donovan, he’s not complaining about it to me. I did see him trying to work through it — probably some stiffness. But I asked him if he wanted to come out in the fourth quarter and he’s like, ‘I’m fine,’ so I think he’s fine.”
While the current deficit presents a significant challenge, Cleveland has experience mounting comebacks from similar situations. The Cavaliers overcame an identical 2-0 hole against Detroit in the previous round, ultimately capturing that series in seven games.
“This isn’t our first time at it,” Mitchell said. “This isn’t our first time facing adversity. We’ve been through two Game 7s, so being down 2-0 is not the biggest challenge.”
The Eastern Conference finals present numerous obstacles beyond Mitchell’s condition, including containing New York’s dynamic duo of Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. Cleveland also hurt themselves with poor execution, converting only 22 of 32 free-throw attempts in a contest that remained competitive despite the final 109-93 margin.
The team’s overall shooting struggled significantly, connecting on just 37% of field goal attempts and managing only 9 of 35 three-point shots.
“It wasn’t a great shooting night,” Atkinson said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to put the ball in the hole. Tonight, we didn’t.”
Saturday night’s Game 3 will mark Cleveland’s seventh contest in a 13-day stretch, while facing a New York team that swept through their previous series. Atkinson acknowledged the Knicks possess a “massive rest advantage.” Center Jarrett Allen admitted fatigue might be a factor but refused to use it as justification for their series deficit.
Mitchell completely rejected any discussion of exhaustion affecting his team’s performance.
“We’re not tired,” Mitchell said. “We’re not tired. We’re ready to go for Game 3.”
