3 Cavs Who Cost Cleveland Most in Game 2 Loss vs. Knicks

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't have enough offense on Thursday night against the New York Knicks. Here's who cost Cleveland the most.

May 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the first quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals during the 2026 NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t do nearly enough to beat the New York Knicks in Game 2 on Thursday night.

New York fans chanted “Knicks in four” as the final score in Madison Square Garden read 109-93. The Cavs kept things close in the first half, but the Knicks won the third quarter and never looked back.

The Cavs didn’t get enough from anybody in Game 2. After Tuesday's Game 1 collapse, they're down 0-2 and will need to pull themselves out of that hole like they did last round against the Detroit Pistons.

But these Cavs cost Cleveland the most in Thursday night’s loss.

Kenny Atkinson

For the second straight game, Cleveland’s head coach is going to be under the microscope. Sure, Atkinson didn’t contribute to the team’s 25% three-point percentage.

The Cavaliers shot 32 free throws compared to New York’s 14. The Cavs were dreadful at the free throw line, but only turned the ball over eight times. They wasted an outing where James Harden didn’t have any turnovers. Harden and Donovan Mitchell combined for 44 points. 

Jalen Brunson was held in check, having scored only 11 points before garbage time when the Knicks already had the same in hand. But the Cavs had no defensive answer for Josh Hart, who put up a career-high 26 points.

Again, Atkinson wasn’t the one missing the shots, but on a night where the Cavs actually had things going right, they weren’t able to execute. 

After a dominant first quarter where Mobley put up 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, he completely vanished from the game. Following that third quarter, Mobley scored four points and was 1-of-2 from the field. He didn’t shoot the ball in the second half. Similarly, Jarrett Allen mysteriously only played 29 minutes. Cleveland’s size is their advantage, but they didn’t even look to capitalize that in the second half against the Knicks.

The players didn’t execute, but Atkinson needed to be better, too. Shots weren’t falling, and that’s on the shooters. But the coach couldn’t adjust for the second straight game. 

Sam Merrill

In 23 minutes, Merrill scored just four points on 1-of-8 shooting, including 0-for-7 from deep. 

Merrill is out there to help with floor spacing. He’s a good team defender, but not elite. When his shot isn’t falling, he can typically find other ways to impact the team. On Thursday night, that wasn’t the case. 

Max Strus

Similarly to Merrill, the Cavs needed way more out of Strus’ 25 minutes. 

Strus has been one of Cleveland’s most reliable players in the NBA Playoffs. On Thursday night, he was 1-of-7 from deep for just five points.

He struggled to keep Hart in check and never found the accuracy with his shooting, which is a big reason why the Cavaliers lost this game.