Everything Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen Said After Cavs Game 2 Loss to Knicks

Cleveland's top players know what they're up against as they head home for Game 3.

Jan 18, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) talks with head coach Kenny Atkinson during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Cavs never found their rhythm in New York. After keeping the game close in the first half, they did not produce any fourth quarter excitement like the Knicks did in the first game of the series. New York was steady all night, and Cleveland’s shooting at only 39 percent from the field and 9 for 35 from three was nowhere near enough to win a playoff game on the road.

After the game, head coach Kenny Atkinson along with Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen spoke to media.

What went wrong offensively after the first quarter?

Donovan: “Nothing. We just didn’t make shots. I loved everything about the looks we got. Some days you just miss the open ones. We got great looks. Sometimes they’re in andout, sometimes they’re short. Offensively I’m not worried at all. We did a really good job getting to the paint trying to find guys. That’s why our assist total was low. It’s just because we couldn’t make shots and it was everybody. So nothing to hang our head about. They protected home court and we’ve seen this before. So we got to go get Game 3.”

Was fatigue a factor tonight?

Donovan: “We’re not tired. We’re ready to go for Game 3.”

What did you think about the defensive balance between Brunson and Josh Hart?

Donovan: “Go back and watch it and sometimes you got to tip your cap. You see a similar situation in the other series with Caruso. They’re guarding him kind of the same way. I’m not saying he’s him or vice versa, but you just got to adjust and we’ll look at the film and figure out ways to adjust. Sometimes you got to tip your cap. He made a one-handed spin move on me. Not to say he’s not capable, but sometimes that’s what happens. We’ll make our adjustments, but you give credit where credit’s due.”

How do you approach being down 0-2?

Donovan: “Protect home court. I’ve said this since the Toronto series. That’s all it is. They did their job. We got to do the same thing.”

What gives you confidence heading home?

Donovan: “This isn’t our first time facing adversity. We’ve been through two Game 7s. Being down 2-0 isn’t the biggest challenge. Our process was right tonight. We’ll make our adjustments and go home and handle business.”

What stood out most from tonight’s loss?

Jarrett: “Just our inability to make shots tonight, really. We all said in the locker room — you’re going to hear it over and over again — the process is right, and we truly believe in that. Just couldn’t make shots. We got stops when they went on runs. We did everything right, just couldn’t make shots.”

What did you think about the defensive approach against Josh Hart?

Jarrett: “Obviously he’s an NBA player, he’s going to make three-pointers. We just have to follow the statistics, follow the coaches, trust in intuition. Sometimes the plan doesn’t go to plan. Sometimes he gets hot. Kudos to him for changing the game and having an impact in a different way.”

How can you and Evan Mobley get more involved offensively?

Jarrett: “Sometimes I feel like we can just go set the pick. Stop waiting for a play, stop waiting for somebody to call us up, and just run the offense from ourselves. Not necessarily taking the ball and bringing it up the court, but initiating the offense by just going and setting a screen out of the blue.”

How do you approach heading home down 0-2?

Jarrett: “It’s just how our whole playoffs has been — our backs against the wall. We like to keep things interesting. We like to keep everybody stressing about what the next game is going to be like. This is no different from what we’re doing now, and we’ve got to take care of home court now.”

Is being down 0-2 stressful?

Jarrett: “It’s the reality of the situation. It’s definitely not where we want to be. Is it stressful? Yeah. Your back is against the wall and everything’s on the line. Your whole season is on the line. Is there an extra fight that we have to give for next game? Absolutely.”