Cavs Notes: Game 1 Loss, Harden, Atkinson, Mitchell
After coming back from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Cavaliers in overtime in Game 1, the Knicks weren’t shy about discussing their late-game offensive strategy, as Vincent Goodwill of ESPN writes.
“It was no secret,” head coach Mike Brown told reporters. “We were attacking (James) Harden.”
As Zach Kram of ESPN details, the Knicks player who was being defended by Harden set a screen an incredible 16 times in the fourth quarter, with the team using the strategy at one point to ensure Harden was defending Jalen Brunson on 10 consecutive possessions. After going scoreless on the first two of those possessions, the Knicks scored 18 points on the next eight, including 13 from Brunson alone, Kram writes.
Still, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, head coach Kenny Atkinson said during his post-game media session on Tuesday that he never considered removing Harden from the game as the Cavaliers’ lead slipped away: “He’s been one of our best defenders in these playoffs. I trust him. Smart. Great hands. I didn’t think about that.”
Atkinson doubled down on those comments on Wednesday, placing the blame for the collapse on the Cavaliers’ team defense as a whole rather than on Harden specifically.
“One thing about James: I’ll just defend him,” the Cavs’ coach said, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “He’s a good isolation defender, always has been. He’s super smart. I said it [Tuesday] night, he has great hands.
“… Without you, we’re knocked out in the first round,” Atkinson said of his message to Harden. “We’re in a great position, you’ve played great. Sometimes micro experiences get exaggerated. Keep being yourself.”
Here’s more on the Cavs ahead of Game 2:
- Atkinson only used one timeout as the Knicks made their fourth-quarter comeback and still had two left when the fourth quarter concluded, notes Jamal Collier of ESPN. He defended that decision after the game and cited bad luck when he discussed the Cavs’ blown lead. “They hit some really tough shots in that fourth quarter,” Atkinson said. “We got a little unlucky, quite honestly. My only regret, and this can happen when you get a little fatigued, I think it just stopped moving. We were pinging the ball all over the place, great ball movement, and then it just got a little stagnant.”
- Atkinson should have more than just one regret about the way Game 1 played out, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required), who argues that the head coach was one of the “primary culprits” of the improbable late-game collapse. In Fedor’s view, Atkinson should have taken a “clearly exhausted” Harden off the floor or at least adjusted his defensive scheme to stop letting the Knicks switch so easily onto him.
- While Atkinson spoke about getting “unlucky,” Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell offered a harsher assessment of his team’s performance down the stretch, according to Jenna Lemoncelli of The New York Post. “We f–king blew it,” Mitchell said during his post-game media session. “… That can’t happen. But it did. We play in two days. We can’t sit here and let it kill our momentum, kill what we’ve been doing. It’s not a good loss.”
- As discouraging as the Game 1 loss was, Atkinson believes that his team – which has won a pair of elimination games and came back from a 2-0 deficit in the second round against Detroit – has what it takes to bounce back and put it behind them, Braziller writes for The New York Post. “You live between misery and awesomeness in the playoffs, and this is of course misery,” Atkinson said. “But this is probably the fourth miserable game we’ve had in the playoffs. It’s like, ‘OK, get back on the horse.'”
Knicks Notes: Towns, Anunoby, Shamet, Robinson, Dolan
The Knicks‘ usage of Karl-Anthony Towns as a point center in the seven games leading up to Tuesday’s game vs. Cleveland resulted in a 130.5 offensive rating, but the plan hit a snag in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. The Cavaliers‘ talented frontcourt duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen did a better job of neutralizing Towns, who scored just 13 points on 14 shots and had five assists, his lowest single-game total since head coach Mike Brown tweaked the Knicks’ offensive game plan.
“We do feel like we have the personnel to bother him. We’ve got multiple guys who can put pressure on him,” Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We’ve gotta be really good with our off-ball defense. They’ve definitely shifted schematically like everybody knows. It’s been … it’s high level so it’s going to be a big part of the series.”
Ultimately though, slowing down Towns wasn’t enough for the Cavaliers to pull off the Game 1 upset and take the lead in the series, as Jalen Brunson led a historic fourth-quarter comeback that resulted in an overtime win. According to the NBA (Twitter link), New York’s 22-point comeback in the fourth quarter was the largest in a conference final game since 1997 and the second-largest in any playoff game during that same span. That outcome left Towns satisfied after the game despite his modest showing.
“I think the Knicks found a way to win tonight, and that’s all that matters,” he said, per Braziller. “It’s not about the individual performances, it’s about this team finding a way to put up a win on the board. I think that’s what’s special.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Knicks forward OG Anunoby acknowledged he had some rust to shake off in his first game back following a hamstring injury, but he finished the game strong, as Howie Kussoy writes for The New York Post. After recording four points and two rebounds in his first 29 minutes of action during regulation, Anunoby helped the Knicks seal the victory with nine points and three boards in overtime. “I felt good,” Anunoby said. “Just continue to play hard, shoot shots and be aggressive. … I don’t think it was hesitancy [early]. Just as the game went on I felt more and more like myself.”
- Even with Anunoby back, Landry Shamet ended up playing a key role for the Knicks, logging 14 of his 17 minutes in the fourth quarter and overtime and making a trio of crucial three-pointers, including one that tied the game during the final minute of regulation, writes Braziller of The New York Post. “He played big time. That’s just who he is. He’s a true professional, ever since he walked into the league,” Brunson said of the minimum-salary vet. “He’s up to any task you put in front of him. He’s been that player, he’s been that player for us. We have utmost faith in him.”
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson had some success against Cleveland in the first half of Game 1, but he was played off the floor in the second half when the Cavaliers began intentionally fouling him, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Robinson went 2-of-8 from the free throw line and the Knicks were outscored by seven points during his four minutes on the court in the third quarter. “Mitch has been great for us the last few games in that situation,” Brown said. “We’re gonna continue to give him a chance. We’ll move him around and do some different things with him. Mitch can impact the game in different ways, so we need him on the floor.”
- Knicks owner James Dolan and Madison Square Garden Sports have taken the next step toward splitting the Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers into separate entities. Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico has the details.
Latest On Sixers’ Search For New Head Of Basketball Ops
After his colleague Marc Stein reported that Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey and Phoenix Mercury GM Nick U’Ren were among the possible targets for the Sixers‘ front office vacancy, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) confirms both are expected to interview with Bob Myers this week regarding the position.
Fischer adds another name to Myers’ planned list of interviewees: Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd, who was a finalist for the Bulls’ top basketball operations job, which ultimately went to Bryson Graham.
According to Fischer, Gansey and Lloyd are both considered future top basketball executives. They’re currently second in command with their respective organizations.
Lloyd began his career with the Bulls in 1999 as a media coordinator and worked his way up to the scouting staff and then senior manager of basketball operations. He became assistant GM in Orlando in 2012 before joining Minnesota in 2022 as senior VP of basketball operations. He was promoted to be the Wolves’ GM two years ago.
While Stein mentioned that 76ers consultant Neil Olshey has been linked to the job, Fischer hears from sources that Olshey isn’t pursuing the position, though he could remain with the team in an advisory capacity. Olshey, a longtime Clippers and Trail Blazers executive, was fired by Portland in 2021 following a workplace misconduct investigation.
Fischer also confirms the Hawks aren’t going to grant the Sixers permission to speak to GM Onsi Saleh and reiterates that 76ers assistant GM Jameer Nelson has many supporters in the organization, whether or not he’s part of the search process.
According to Fischer, rival teams have interest in hiring 76ers VP of player personnel Prosper Karangwa following Daryl Morey‘s dismissal last week.
Thunder executive Vince Rozman, Wizards VP of player personnel Travis Schlenk and Clippers GM Trent Redden have also been linked to Philadephia’s search.
Mike Gansey, Nick U’ren Among Sixers’ Potential Front Office Targets
Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey and Phoenix Mercury GM Nick U’ren are among the potential candidates to watch as the Sixers seek a replacement for Daryl Morey in their front office, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
A longtime Cavaliers staffer who initially joined the team as a basketball operations seasonal assistant in 2011, Gansey has worked his way through Cleveland’s front office over the last decade-and-a-half. He spent three years as the team’s director of G League operations and two as the general manager of the G League team, known at the time as the Canton Charge. Gansey was named the NBAGL’s Executive of the Year in 2017 and earned a promotion to Cavaliers assistant GM later that year.
Gansey was later elevated to a GM role in 2022 during the same offseason that Koby Altman was promoted from GM to president of basketball operations. The veteran executive has since been connected to multiple rival teams’ front office searches, most recently interviewing with the Bulls before they hired Bryson Graham.
U’ren, meanwhile, spent five years in Phoenix with the Suns and Mercury from 2009-14, working in various video room roles. He was hired by the Warriors in 2014 and won four titles with the team over the next nine years while working under Bob Myers. He held multiple positions during that time, including manager of advance scouting, special assistant to the head coach, and director of basketball operations.
U’Ren returned to Phoenix as the Mercury’s general manager after the 2023 WNBA season. After going 9-31 in ’23, the Mercury won 19 games in 2024, then went 27-17 and made the WNBA Finals in 2025.
Stein previously linked 76ers consultant Neil Olshey and Thunder executive Vince Rozman, a former Sixers employee, to Philadelphia’s front office vacancy, while noting that assistant GM Jameer Nelson could be in line for an expanded role.
Morey’s successor in Philadelphia is expected to run the front office on a day-to-day basis and will have “a lot of authority,” though Myers, who is now the president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, acknowledged last week that he’ll be involved with the Sixers’ “high-level decision making.”
Cavaliers Notes: Mitchell, Merrill, Allen, Conference Finals
Donovan Mitchell has enjoyed plenty of memorable playoff moments during his nine years in the NBA, but he never advanced past the second round until the Cavaliers beat the Pistons in Game 7 Sunday night. After contributing 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the 31-point victory, Mitchell called it “a breath of fresh air” to be heading to the conference finals, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
“Even last year, when we lost to Indiana, we had our goals set on getting to the Finals. We’re just one step closer,” Mitchell said. “But yeah, it’s been almost a decade of running into the same issue. So for sure, I personally, and as a team, we can breathe a little bit.”
Playoff disappointments followed Mitchell from Utah to Cleveland and were especially acute last season when the Cavs were ousted in the second round as the No. 1 seed. They appeared to be headed in that direction again after dropping Game 6 at home on Friday, but they bounced back with a dominant performance, controlling Sunday’s contest from the opening minutes. It was an important victory for a team that was likely headed for major changes with another early exit.
“It does mean something,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “This was the next step for us. First day of training camp, I put up the playoff record over the last three years, 11-15. I’ve been saying all year we have a lot to prove. We still have more to prove. That’s the next part of it, but we proved something to ourselves, that we could take that another step.”
There’s more on the Cavaliers:
- The team’s playoff path hasn’t been easy, going seven games in each of the first two rounds against a pair of physical opponents, but the players see some advantages to all the challenges, Collier adds. “Listen, you’d love to sweep every series, but I think these have been great opportunities for us to get to know each other a little better, develop some more belief and just continue to get better,” Sam Merrill said. “And that’s what the playoffs are about. You got to keep getting better, make adjustments, and then find a way to win.”
- Jarrett Allen, who has been criticized in the past for not delivering in the playoffs, turned in his second straight impressive Game 7, finishing with 23 points and seven rebounds. He received a motivational text from team chairman Dan Gilbert two hours before the game, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reveals in a subscriber-only story, and Gilbert talked to Atkinson about Allen’s importance at a team dinner Saturday night. “He goes, ‘You know who the key to this whole thing is?’ I was thinking (James) Harden, Mitchell. He goes, ‘The key to this whole thing, the spark, is Jarrett Allen. I said, ‘Really?’” Atkinson said after Sunday’s game. “Sometimes you have people who observe from afar. Plus, Dan knows the team well and he knows these guys.”
- The Cavs won’t get much time to rest before facing the Knicks in Game 1 of the conference finals Tuesday night. They brought oversized suitcases on Saturday’s team charter with the expectation of heading to New York instead of just spending two days in Detroit, Fedor states in a separate story (subscription required). “For us, we can’t really look at it and say, ‘All right, we did it, we got to conference finals.’ That’s not the end all,” Mitchell said. “We’ve still got more to do. It’s all about the belief in the locker room. We’ve got each other’s back and that’s the biggest thing. I believe we’ve all been a believer since day one, and we’ve got more work to do. We’re always going to have bumps in the road, but it’s how we stick together. We’ll go to war with each other any day of the week.”
Stein’s Latest: LeBron, Sixers, Magic, Blazers, Giannis
Has LeBron James played his last NBA game? That’s the question Marc Stein wondered on Saturday at his Substack.
Stein and people he trusts around the league think James is likely to play a record-extending 24th season in 2026/27, but Stein acknowledges that no one — maybe not even James — knows the answer.
James, a 21-time All-NBA member, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The 41-year-old’s “runaway preference” would be to remain with the Lakers, Stein writes, and they’re believed to be open to that scenario as well — with a caveat.
According to Stein, Los Angeles would like to bring back LeBron at a “much lower number” than the $52.6MM he made this season. However, Stein views that scenario as “thorny,” since James has never accepted the sort of discounted rate the Lakers might prefer to offer.
Still, the other teams that could appeal to James — the Warriors, Cavaliers, Knicks and Clippers — may not be able to offer him much in free agency either, Stein notes. That might make retirement a more viable option, even though Stein suspects the NBA’s all-time leading will play another season.
Stein also detailed several other items of interest in his Sunday edition of The Stein Line:
- Bob Myers, the president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, recently said the Sixers‘ new head of basketball operations would have “a lot of authority” but that he expects to be involved in major personnel and roster decisions moving forward. That has led to a “widespread belief” around the league that Myers will explore the possibility of hiring Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh for the job, according to Stein, who points out that Saleh worked with Myers in Golden State. However, Stein hears Saleh is expected to remain with Atlanta, as the 76ers would require permission to speak to him, and that seems unlikely to be granted after Saleh finished second in Executive of the Year voting.
- According to Stein, there have been “rumbles” about the Sixers potentially being intrigued by Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, but he’s still under contract for another year and Minnesota didn’t show any interest in letting him speak to Dallas before the Mavericks decided to hire Masai Ujiri.
- Regardless of what happens with the front office search, Stein has heard chatter throughout the season about Sixers assistant GM Jameer Nelson potentially being promoted to an “expanded role.” The former NBA point guard is highly regarded in Philadelphia and in the league and is “routinely described” as a possible future GM, Stein writes. 76ers consultant Neil Olshey and Thunder executive Vince Rozman, a longtime former Sixers employee, have also been connected to Philadelphia’s front office vacancy after the team fired Daryl Morey.
- The Magic hope to hire an experienced head coach to replace Jamahl Mosley, per Stein, and Billy Donovan is still viewed as a “strong candidate” for the position despite backing out of the same job to return to the University of Florida in 2007. Tom Thibodeau is another experienced coach who remains a free agent, Stein notes.
- Sources tell the Stein Line that Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori can be added to the list of names the Trail Blazers have expressed interest in as they search for a new head coach. For what it’s worth, former Blazers head coach Terry Stotts threw his name into the hat recently as well, texting longtime Oregon sportswriter Dwight Jaynes that he’d like another crack at the job. “I would love to come back to the Blazers and Portland,” Stotts told Jaynes. Stotts, who confirmed his agent has reached out to Portland about the position, spent the last two seasons as the Warriors’ top assistant.
- According to Stein, the following statement from president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is among the reasons the Celtics keep popping up as a potential suitor for Giannis Antetokounmpo: “One of the things that we’ve got to figure out is how to have more of an impact at the rim,” Stevens said. “And I think we do need to add to our team to do that.”
Cavs Starting Max Strus Over Dean Wade For Game 7
6:44 pm: Cleveland’s starting lineup change is official, per Pistons PR (Twitter link).
6:37 pm: The Cavaliers are expected to make a change to their starting lineup for Sunday’s do-or-die Game 7, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who reports that Max Strus is “likely” to get the starting nod at small forward over Dean Wade.
Wade, who is known for his defense, has started all six games of the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup vs. Detroit, averaging 3.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per contest. He has only attempted 14 shots in the series, but has made half of those looks (seven).
Strus, meanwhile, has averaged 10.0 PPG and 5.5 RPG while knocking down 38.3% of his three-point attempts through six games in the second-round series (29.2 MPG).
According to Fedor, there are several reasons why head coach Kenny Atkinson is opting to make the change, but offense is the primary factor. The Cavs have struggled to score against Detroit’s stout defense, which ranked second in the league during the regular season.
As Fedor writes, Atkinson has spoken about Strus’ impact throughout the Pistons series, praising his “energy, tenacity and defensive ball pressure.”
Atkinson made a similar change in the first round against Toronto. Wade started the first four games of that series before turning to Strus for Game 5 and 6. Wade was moved back to the starting lineup for Game 7 against the Raptors.
And-Ones: Social Justice Award, Wemby, Leg Injuries, McGrady
Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, Pistons forward Tobias Harris, and Cavaliers big man Larry Nance Jr. are the five finalists for the 2026 Social Justice Champion award, the NBA announced in a press release.
“The annual award honors a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and will receive the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trophy for advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically disadvantaged,” the release states.
“The NBA Social Justice Champion will be announced during the Conference Finals of the 2026 NBA Playoffs and receive a $100,000 donation from the NBA for a non-profit organization of his choosing.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is unlikely to suit up for the French national team for a pair of 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying games in early July, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, but the former No. 1 overall pick is expected to be available during the second qualifying window in late August. San Antonio’s deep playoff run — the Spurs are set to face Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals — is the reason why Wembanyama probably won’t play for Team France in July.
- Kirk Goldsberry of The Ringer takes a data-focused look at the NBA’s significant rise in soft-tissue leg injuries and considers what measures the league could take to mitigate them.
- Hall-of-Famer Tracy McGrady relaunched his Ones Basketball League at Oak Ridge High School in Orlando on Friday, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “I thought it was a great atmosphere,” McGrady said of the rowdy crowd. “Orlando showed a lot of support. I thought the guys played extremely well, played hard. … All in all, I think it was a great showing. And hopefully the crowd that was here got an opportunity to see some good basketball and understand what we’re trying to build.” Beede passes along more details about the one-on-one league, which will conclude on July 1 with a prize of $100,000.
Cavaliers Expected To Re-Sign James Harden To Multiyear Deal
No matter what happens in Sunday night’s Game 7 at Detroit, the Cavaliers plan to re-sign James Harden this summer, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Windhorst suggests an “understanding” that a multiyear contract would be forthcoming was likely in place before Cleveland sent Darius Garland and a 2026 second-round pick to the Clippers in exchange for Harden at the trade deadline. Harden was in position to veto a trade and probably wouldn’t have joined the Cavs without the implicit promise of a new deal.
Windhorst hears that the organization worked to establish a bond with Harden before the trade was finalized, as head coach Kenny Atkinson took steps to make him a partner in the team’s success from the first time they talked. Windhorst points out that Harden has excelled throughout his career when he’s had a strong relationship with his coaches, so Atkinson and his staff have been cultivating that from the start.
Harden holds a $42.3MM player option for next season, but the annual salary in his next contract is expected to be smaller in exchange for more long-term security as he turns 37 this summer. That will provide some financial relief for the Cavaliers, who are carrying the league’s highest payroll at $226MM (more than $280MM with the luxury tax factored in) and are the only team currently operating over the second apron.
Windhorst states that a new deal with Harden will also provide some stability amid the uncertainty surrounding Donovan Mitchell, who has a $53.8MM player option for 2027/28 and will carry the equivalent of an expiring contract next season. Mitchell will become extension-eligible in July and can sign a new deal worth up to $272MM over four years. However, Windhorst notes that he would benefit by waiting until 2027 when he’ll have 10 years of service, which means he can increase his next contract to five years at around $350MM and will be eligible for other benefits, including a no-trade clause.
Waiting to sign his next deal means Mitchell will hit free agency next summer, which Windhorst states could lead to an “uncomfortable” situation, especially if the Cavs fail to advance past the second round again. There could be some hesitation about committing to a new deal that pays him $80MM when he’s 35.
An early playoff exit could affect the roster in other ways, Windhorst adds, as rival teams have expressed interest for years in trading for Jarrett Allen. The 28-year-old center is about to enter a three-year, $90MM extension that will make him significantly more expensive for a team that’s already under financial duress. Windhorst cites moving Max Strus, who’ll have a $16.6MM expiring contract next season, as another option, but notes that trading Allen or Strus is unlikely to bring back “star power” that would put Cleveland in position to win a title.
That could lead to discussions on whether to part with Evan Mobley, an elite defender who would generate plenty of interest around the league if the Cavs consider moving him. Windhorst states that the 25-year-old Mobley, who’s in the first season of a five-year, $270MM extension, has been “untouchable” so far.
Cavs Notes: Mitchell, Thompson, Game 7, Harden
Donovan Mitchell failed to carry the Cavaliers into the conference finals in Game 6 against Detroit on Friday. Mitchell scored a series-low 18 points on 6-of-20 shooting and had as many turnovers (three) as assists in the 21-point loss.
“I can’t dwell on it,” Mitchell said. “I missed shots tonight. … I’ve been making them most every game of this series, and tonight I didn’t.”
Mitchell must get past this clunker and deliver in Game 7 at Detroit on Sunday, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic opines. The outcome of Game 7 will have major implications for Mitchell and the franchise.
Lloyd also speculates that Mitchell might be hiding an injury, noting that he hasn’t looked like himself for most of this postseason.
Here’s more on the Cavaliers:
- A controversial ruling allowed the Pistons’ defensive ace, Ausar Thompson, to stay in the game. While fighting through a screen during the second quarter, Thompson threw Sam Merrill to the court with his arm around Merrill’s neck. However, the officials assessed Thompson with a Flagrant 1 foul, rather than ejecting him. Lead official Zach Zarba explained the decision. “The criteria for a flagrant foul 2 would be windup, impact and follow-through,” Zarba said, per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon. “On this particular play, there was impact and follow-through, but there was no windup. It was unnecessary contact but also not excessive, so that’s why it wasn’t upgraded to a Flagrant 2.”
- James Harden said the Cavs need to match Detroit’s defensive intensity to win Game 7, per Cleveland.com. “Not shooting the basketball well, I wouldn’t say it’s an excuse, but it’s not a reason. Our defense has to be the priority from the beginning of the game until the last buzzer,” he said. “That’s priority number one. And I don’t think we necessarily did that from the beginning of the game until the final buzzer, which is the reason why we didn’t play well. We feed off our defense, our energy comes from our defense, and we didn’t do that well enough like they did. So then our offense is a little bit more difficult just because you’re not getting stops. So we got to take the ball out, and it’s just a trickle effect. So in order to win this game, we gotta hang our hats on the defensive end, and we should be in a good position.”
- At least for now, Harden has passed Stephen Curry on the all-time playoff scoring list, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN notes. Harden moved into 10th place during the first quarter on a step-back three-pointer from the right wing. That gave him 4,148 postseason points. Curry has scored 4,147 points in the playoffs.