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Cavs star Donovan Mitchell’s blunt reaction to Game 1 4th quarter collapse vs. Knicks
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- Cavs star Donovan Mitchell’s blunt reaction to Game 1 4th quarter collapse vs. Knicks
Cavs star Donovan Mitchell's blunt reaction to Game 1 4th quarter collapse vs. Knicks appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Well, that was a game to forget for the Cleveland Cavaliers . Still a little hot from their Game 7 win in the second round, the Cavs came out of the gate strong. They fended off an early run by the Knicks and built a lead in the second half that ballooned to as much as 22 points. With New York looking perplexed by the Cavs' scheme, it seemed the red carpet was rolled out for Cleveland to easily take Game 1.
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Instead, what happened was arguably the worst collapse in NBA playoff history. Despite holding that 22-point lead in the fourth quarter and a 99.9% chance of winning per ESPN, the Cavs let the Knicks back into the game. The result was a brutal 114-103 loss in overtime that took away Cleveland's chances of stealing home-court advantage from New York.
Cavs star Donovan Mitchell bluntly admitted that his team should have won the game . The All-Star guard did not hold back in his press conference after the game.
"Should've won the game," Mitchell said. "Not gonna put it on [complacency or fatigue]. Even if there was complacency, we're up 22 with God knows how much time – 8 minutes? We gotta win the game. We didn't."
Mitchell finished the game with 29 points on 12-23 shooting and 4-11 from three-point range, adding five rebounds, three assists, and six assists. It's an incredible debut for the Cavs star in his first Conference Finals appearance. However, while the Knicks were making their run in the fourth quarter, Mitchell was nowhere to be seen. Part of it was that the ball was not given to him, but Mitchell also didn't hunt for his shots as much as the Cavs fanbase wanted him.
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The Cavs were hoping to win Game 1 of this series to give them some much-needed breathing room. After playing two seven-game series, a win here would've been helpful for them. Now, they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas . They cannot try to overcome a 0-2 series deficit again. They have a few days to figure out the proper adjustments to win Game 2.
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