Ken doesn't want to call Game 2 must-win but keeps talking himself toward it anyway, while a caller pushes back and reminds everyone there are still six games left to play. Kenny Atkinson keeps opening his mouth about the first three quarters and nobody wants to hear it, and the real question nobody can answer yet is whether Harden has anything left in the tank or if what Cleveland saw at the end of Game 1 is the new reality. The sandwich tangent somehow lands as the perfect metaphor for the whole situation: if you're not delivering the product, people stop showing up.
Is Game 2 Do or Die for the Cavs?
Donovan Mitchell #45, Dennis Schroder #8 and Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers react during the third quarter of a game against the New York Knicks in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima
The only place to talk about the Cleveland sports scene weekday mornings is with Ken Carman and Anthony Lima from 6-10a! The show guides you through…
