The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the brink of getting swept out of the playoffs following a 121-108 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on Saturday. Despite finding themselves in a must-win situation here, the Cavaliers came out flat.
The Knicks led 37-27 at the end of the first quarter, as that Cavaliers defense was ripped apart time and time again. The hosts did show some fight to tie the game in the second quarter, but they would never take the lead. The Knicks eventually regained control as the second half progressed and ended up cruising to victory.
The Cavaliers now seem down and out, as no team has overturned a 3-0 deficit in NBA history, and here’s how their players fared on this miserable night.
Evan Mobley: B+
Game Stats: 24 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK, 5 TOV, 10-18 FG, 1-6 3PT, 3-4 FT, 36 MIN
There had been calls for Evan Mobley to be more aggressive after he didn’t even attempt a shot in the second half of Game 2, and he was here. Mobley was the Cavaliers’ leading scorer, but he still wasn’t quite as impactful as you’d want. He wasn’t particularly great on the glass, and the 2025 DPOY also couldn’t do much to slow down that red-hot Knicks offense. Mobley’s five turnovers didn’t help matters, either.
Donovan Mitchell: B
Game Stats: 23 PTS, 1 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 5 TOV, 9-21 FG, 3-10 3PT, 2-6 FT, 38 MIN
Speaking of turnovers, Donovan Mitchell had five of them, too. Mitchell did nearly match Mobley with 23 points, but this was a quiet night by his standards. The seven-time All-Star struggled on the defensive end as well, and it seems pretty clear he isn’t quite right, health-wise. Mitchell briefly headed to the locker room in the first half, and you wonder just how hampered he is.
Jarrett Allen: B
Game Stats: 17 PTS, 7 REB, 7-9 FG, 3-4 FT, 36 MIN
Jarrett Allen got off to a pretty good start to this game, putting up 12 points on 5-5 shooting from the field at halftime. We didn’t see much of Allen on the offensive end after that, though, and perhaps his teammates should have looked for him more. He also hauled in four offensive rebounds to give the Cavaliers some extra possessions when the offense was sputtering a bit.
James Harden: B-
Game Stats: 19 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 6 TOV, 8-15 FG, 1-7 3PT, 2-3 FT, 41 MIN
This was yet another playoff game where James Harden couldn’t take care of the ball. This is the second time in this series that Harden recorded six turnovers in a game. Some of those were just mind-boggling, too.
As for the scoring department, Harden didn’t even attempt a field goal in the fourth quarter. While the outside shot wasn’t falling, he was pretty efficient from the field on the night. The Cavaliers could have done with some more production out of Harden.
Max Strus: B-
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 4-12 FG, 4-11 3PT, 1-1 FT, 31 MIN
Max Strus didn’t have the greatest of games here, as he had six points entering the fourth quarter, but you can’t fault his heart. Strus was one of the few Cavaliers who kept fighting as this contest was getting out of reach. Like Mobley, he also grabbed four offensive rebounds. Unlike so many of his big-name teammates, Strus didn’t have a single turnover.
Jaylon Tyson: C+
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 1 TOV, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-1 FT, 9 MIN
Jaylon Tyson’s stats are nothing to write home about, but he gave the Cavaliers a spark when he came off the bench with his energy and hustle. Tyson had a plus-minus of +3 in his nine minutes and perhaps should have been given some more time on the court.
Sam Merrill: C
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 2-5 FG, 2-4 3PT, 24 MIN
Sam Merrill didn’t give the Cavaliers much on the offensive end here, but to be fair, he didn’t get too many opportunities. Merrill attempted just two shots in the first half and missed both. He finally hit a couple of threes in the second half to keep the Cavaliers within striking distance, but that was about it. As for the defensive end, well, Merrill certainly didn’t do much to slow down the onslaught.
Dennis Schroder: C
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 2 AST, 1-1 FG, 1-1 3PT, 9 MIN
Dennis Schroder had played 18 minutes in each of the first two games, but got just nine here. Schroder hasn’t had a great series, but he made his only shot of the night. You could even argue he should have been out there longer for his defense, with how easily the Knicks were scoring.
Dean Wade: C-
Game Stats: 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3PT, 17 MIN
Dean Wade is in the starting lineup for his defense, but he didn’t do anything to stand out on that end of the floor here. With how willing the Cavaliers are to switch, Wade’s impact on that end of the floor gets diminished. You wonder if we see a change in the starting lineup for Game 4.
