Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers came into Game 4 at home with their season on the line, as they were down 0-3 in the Eastern Conference Finals series against the Knicks. But their performance in the first half was extremely underwhelming and showed a lack of any conviction or desperation from the team.
Midway through the second quarter, the Cavaliers took a timeout, and Donovan Mitchell huddled up with his teammates around their bench. The 29-year-old star proceeded to animatedly yell at his teammates. The video of this incident went viral on social media.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) May 26, 2026
Whether it was motivational words as a leader or being the villain and calling out his teammates, so they are fueled to prove him wrong. But evidently, Mitchell was trying to do whatever it takes to compete, even if the Knicks were in total control of the game.
The Knicks stretched their lead to as many as 29 points before the half ended with the score 68-49. Mitchell was clearly unhappy with the team’s lack of effort. Looking at this performance does not make it seem at all like the players are playing with their series on the line.
James Harden is at the epicentre of all the criticism that the Cavaliers are facing for a lack of effort on defense. Even Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley called out the Cavaliers for giving up in a do-or-die game.
“James Harden is doing what James usually does… disappear,” said O’Neal during the halftime segment.
“Kids at home, if you want to see what the word quit means, to give up, the verb of that is Cavaliers,” said Barkley before reviewing a bunch of footage where the Cavaliers clearly made several defensive mistakes.
Charles Barkley:
“Kids at home, if you want to see what the word ‘quit’ means, to give up, the verb of that is Cavaliers.” pic.twitter.com/wfDcr0zfkh
— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) May 26, 2026
The game was headed towards a blowout in the second half as the Knicks further stretched their lead to 45 points in the fourth quarter. Donovan Mitchell’s night ended with 31 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal while going 9-18 from the field (50.0 FG%) and 5-9 from beyond the arc (55.5 3P%).
Meanwhile, James Harden struggled to show up on both ends of the floor once again. He finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists while going 2-8 from the field (25.0 FG%). The score was 93-130 at the buzzer in a blowout loss for the Cavaliers, and the Knicks proceeded to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.
What Does This Mean For The Cavaliers?
Donovan Mitchell, who is up for a contract extension, may not get the front office’s 100% support after such a performance. And he will likely get traded if he doesn’t extend, as he will be on an expiring contract earning approximately $50 million in 2026-27.
Moreover, James Harden will also be up for an extension with a $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season. If he exercises that option, the Cavaliers may have two superstars who will be at risk of leaving for next to nothing in 2027.
Additionally, Kenny Atkinson’s role might be under fire amid recent criticism over his candor. In combination with the potentially looming return of LeBron James, the Cavaliers’ front office will have a major task on its hands. It will be interesting to see what the Cavaliers do this summer.
