INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – These young Cavaliers have been knocked down, but they aren’t knocked out – not yet.
Pushed to the brink of elimination by the New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Cavs are about to find out just what they are made of Wednesday night.
“Our guys have never surrendered, and I don't ever expect them to surrender,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said following Tuesday’s practice. “[Wednesday’s] going to be a hell of a game and we're going to lay it all out on the line.”
Game 5 is win or go home. No other motivation is required.
“I mean, if you need any more motivation than this, then I don't think you're playing the right sport or should be playing sports,” All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said. “If this elimination isn’t going to fire you up to protect home court on your own floor, then I don't know what else could get you going for real. That to me in itself is like, all right, we're not going out that way. That's the mindset.
“But I haven’t had to stress that to these guys. We all know what's at stake here, but as far as finding that fire, I don't think any of us need it at all.”
If the Cavs are rattled or nervous, they certainly aren’t showing it.
“We either grow together or separate,” second-year forward Evan Mobley said. “I feel like we're growing together and feel like this next game is going to be very high stakes game and we just got to play together as best we can.”
Through four games the Knicks have seemingly beaten Cleveland at their own game with a scrappy, junkyard dog approach that has led to a 3-1 series lead.
New York is winning the battle of the boards in the series – 179-156 overall.
On the offensive glass, the Cavs are being outhustled by the Knicks defense 121-42 and defensively the Cavs lead 114-58 but have given up too many second chance points – again advantage New York 71-58.
“We just got to do a better job of coming up with it, whatever that may be,” Mobley said of the rebounding woes. “Whether that's finding the body early or just going after the ball. Everyone coming in as a team. Whatever you need to do to get the ball.”
The Knicks bench is also outscoring Cleveland’s second unit 113-83.
So, what’s the fix for the Cavs four games in?
“Play better. I think it's that simple,” Bickerstaff said. “I still don't feel like we've played our best game yet, but we've got an opportunity [Wednesday] and I expect our guys to rise to the occasion.
“As frustrating as it's been and for whatever the reasons have been, I think we've put together one good game so far, and that was in game two. So we've got to be better coaches, got to be better. Players have to be better. We got to go out and put it on the line.”
There’s no need for big speeches because what needs to happen Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is simple.
“Just win the game,” Mitchell said. “That's all I got, to be honest with you. Doesn't matter how, if it's ugly, if it's by one, it's by 40. Got to win the game.”
Mitchell is coming off a frustrating Game 4 that saw him shoot just five of 18 from the field and score 11 points.
Following Sunday’s 102-93 loss at Madison Square Garden Mitchell took the blame for a tough trip to the big apple that saw the Knicks win both games on their home floor to take command of the series.
Everyone – Mitchell included – is expecting the All-NBA first team candidate to come out firing Wednesday night.
“Just got to be better,” Mitchell said. “I don't need to come out and try and overdo it. Just continue to play my game and like I said, a lot of the shots I missed in game four were shots that I make. It wasn't like I was out there pressing or doing different things out of my character, out of my nature, outside of maybe some turnovers, but they were the same shots and they did a good job throwing doubles at me, throwing different coverages and mixing it up.”
If Mitchell can find the bottom of the net again with regularity and his teammates crash the glass on both ends of the floor, everyone heads back to New York for Game 6.
“Teams have come back from a three-one [deficit]. Obviously it's happened here,” Mitchell said referencing the Cavs 2016 NBA championship team. “But for us it's game five. I'm not worried about anything after that. It's just game five [Wednesday], seven o'clock to be ready.”
