Donovan Mitchell knows exactly where things slipped away for the Cavaliers against the Knicks, and he’s not hiding from it.
The Cleveland guard said the Game 1 loss in the Eastern Conference Finals will stay with him for a long time, especially after the Cavs built a 22-point lead and still watched the game turn. That collapse handed New York the edge in the series, and the Knicks rolled from there on the way to a sweep.
The timing made it even tougher for Cleveland. The Cavaliers had already been through two full seven-game series in the first two rounds, and by the time they reached the Eastern Conference Finals, the grind seemed to catch up with them.
Game 1 was the chance to take control and slow down a Knicks team that had already surged out of its first-round battle with Atlanta. Instead, the Cavs let the moment get away in the fourth quarter, and the series never really recovered.
“Just and who knows, you know, who knows at that point. That puts the pressure.
We played so well in game seven. We were riding, and we carried it completely over to Game 1,” Mitchell said while being a guest on Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.
Mitchell has been around long enough to know wins and losses both leave a mark, but this one clearly sits near the top of the regret list. And as he looks ahead, he plans to use it.
The Cavaliers are being overlooked with attention centered on the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat, and the Knicks, but Mitchell is still the name driving the conversation in Cleveland. If the Cavs are going to change that in the 2026-27 season, he’ll be at the center of it.
In Other News...
Knicks May Need To Watch One Clippers Center Situation Closely
The Clippers are now dealing with one of the heaviest punishments the NBA has handed down in recent memory after an investigation into salary-cap circumvention, with the league issuing a massive fine, taking away five first-round picks and suspending owner Steve Ballmer and other executives. For teams around the league, the fallout could reshape roster planning in more ways than one, especially if Los Angeles is forced to rethink pieces of its frontcourt as the season moves along.
For the Knicks, the situation is worth monitoring because it could eventually create a path to a veteran center availability that was not on the radar before all this surfaced. A potential buyout scenario is still only speculative, and there is no assurance anything comes of it, but New York would be among the teams with a clear reason to keep tabs on how the Clippers manage the rest of their roster. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Brunsons Knicks Title Run Looks Even Wilder After Hidden Detail
The Knicks championship charge in 2026 already looked impressive on the surface, but it took on a different edge once the extent of Jalen Brunsons postseason grind came into view. He led all players in scoring during the run, and only afterward did it become clear how much he had been carrying, with his playoff performance coming while dealing with a wrist injury that would have sidelined plenty of players.
Brunson had offseason surgery and is still waiting to be cleared for basketball activities as training camps near, which leaves a fresh layer of uncertainty around a player who powered New Yorks climb when it mattered most. Peyton Watson recently talked about how hard it is to navigate the playoffs while hurt, noting his own hamstring strain and how injuries can shape a series, and Brunsons case is another reminder of just how far title runs can be pushed by guys willing to play through it. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Still Have One Rivalry They Desperately Need To Flip
The Knicks finally got back to the mountaintop in 2023, ending a title drought that had stretched back to 1973, but one old obstacle still sits uncomfortably on the ledger. For all the progress in New York, the Pacers remain the matchup that keeps hanging around, and the league still sees enough juice in this pairing to slot Knicks-Pacers among the NBA rivalries worth watching in 2026-27.
Indianas recent slide in the standings has not erased what this series means, especially after the postseason history these two teams have built over the years. The next chapter figures to draw even more attention with key Pacers pieces set to be back in the mix, which only raises the pressure on New York to change the tone of a rivalry it has spent too long chasing rather than controlling. [Read more 🡒]