Knicks vs. Cavaliers live updates: 2026 NBA playoffs Game 4 start time, picks and predictions

Whether this series ends tonight or Wednesday in New York, (I sincerely doubt it’ll go longer than that), there will be all manner of questions about the Cavaliers’ future. Move Donovan Mitchell, or Jarrett Allen, as part of a big deal for Giannis? (Amazing, after Allen’s outstanding play in the first two rounds of the playoffs, and Mitchell’s heroics in Game 7 against Detroit, that this would be an internet thing. But, it’s the internet. Of course it is.)

It will take a while for Kenny Atkinson to live down his “analytically, we’ve won two of three” quip. Eventually, he may not be able to do so. But firing him after a conference finals loss – even to a team that fired its coach last year after a conference finals loss – would have a whiff of desperation, especially after the Cavs made it explicitly clear two years ago that they were firing J.B. Bickerstaff, in part, because of a lack of offensive imagination, which resulted in Cleveland revamping its offense last season to go through Evan Mobley.

That innovation was shelved after the Cavs traded for James Harden, the self-described “system” through which Cleveland has played since February. Firing Atkinson would lead to another coach with another idea of how best to play. Perhaps the Cavs could turn to coaches who’ve worked with Harden, like Jeff Van Gundy, the Clippers’ assistant coach, who’s reportedly a finalist for the Blazers’ job. Hall of Fame coach Mike D’Antoni had the Beard in Houston for four seasons, during which the Rockets ranked second, first, second, and sixth in the league in offensive rating. In related news, D’Antoni is 75. Guessing that’s not a realistic option at present.

And, the Cavs already made their big move, moving Darius Garland for the 36-year-old Harden. They’re going to give Harden an extension this summer, and ride him for at least the next two or three seasons. That’s an organizational decision, not a coach’s. So everyone in Cleveland’s front office, up to and including Dan Gilbert, has to own it. Chris Webber used to always say that the teams that win championships aren’t always the most talented ones. They’re just the most stubborn. Being stubborn rather than reactive this offseason would serve Cleveland better than chasing the next Big Thing.