The Cleveland Cavaliers needed a big Game 4 performance to save their season and avoid a sweep against the New York Knicks, and things aren’t going well so far.
The Knicks took a commanding 68-49 lead into halftime and are on the brink of eliminating Cleveland.
NBA legend Charles Barkley of Inside the NBA said that the Cavs are the definition of the word quit:
NBA fans were also unimpressed with the first half from the Cavs in their biggest game of the season.
The blame for the early struggles can’t be placed on Donovan Mitchell, who had a game-high 20 points at halftime, though he did turn the ball over three times. James Harden had 12 points on 2-of-5 from the field at the half, turning the ball over twice.
The Cavs finished the first half with nine turnovers, compared to just four from the Knicks. New York also led the rebound battle 28-18.
Cleveland perhaps wasn’t expected to give the Knicks a very tough series, given that New York swept its second-round opponent while the Cavs struggled against the Detroit Pistons. Still, losing in four games would be an unacceptable result for a team with as much talent as Cleveland.
The Cavs will look to overcome the double-digit deficit to avoid a disappointing ending to the season.
