Cavs vs Knicks instant reactions to stunning Cleveland's Game 1 loss

NEW YORK — Fresh off of a second consecutive seven-game series, the Cavaliers met the well-rested New York Knicks for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden.

The Cavs took down the top-seeded Detroit Pistons with a Game 7 win in Detroit to advance to the Conference Finals without LeBron James for the first time since 1992. The Knicks, meanwhile, rested for more than a week after sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers in the second around.

In Game 1, the Cavs built a 22-point lead before the Knicks went on a wild 18-1 run in the fourth quarter to force overtime and then overtake Cleveland 115-104 to take a 1-0 series lead.

Here is Beacon Journal writer Ryan Lewis' instant reaction to Cavs-Knicks Game 1:

Cavs vs Knicks Game 1. Ryan Lewis' instant reaction

• Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson referred to Donovan Mitchell as their "beacon" after the Game 7 win in Detroit, and that phrase is only gaining in validity. Despite the end result, that was a great performance from Mitchell, who led the way on both ends of the floor, seemingly always coming up with the big bucket, the big steal, or both one after the other through the first three quarters.
• Only a few years after Mitchell Robinson gave the Cavs nightmares in a playoff series, the Cavs' strategy of hack-a-Mitch worked beautifully. With Cleveland holding a double-digit lead, it almost rendered Mitchell unplayable, thus messing with the Knicks' rotation.
• The Knicks were on fire in the second round, which always gave way to the possibility that they'd hit a wall simply due to variance. Not only did that happen early on in Game 1, but there were several cases where Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley being in the paint clearly changed their plans, turning a potential layup into a pass and a re-set. Allen and Mobley gave Karl-Anthony Towns a difficult time while also impacting several would-be shot attempts from Knicks players driving into the paint. That was a crucial element for most of Game 1.
• And then, none of it mattered, because Jalen Brunson simply reached a level of white-hot from the floor that is just about unstoppable. The Knicks' wild 18-1 run might have delivered the Cavs a back-breaking blow, even in only Game 1. The Cavs were well on their way to stealing a game at MSG, and to not come away with the win is a brutal start to the series. Mitchell was the best player on the court for three quarters. Brunson just poured all of the equalizing shots into one quarter.
• The Cavs certainly showed they can find some advantages against the Knicks defense, but to be up 22 and receive a game like that from Mitchell and still lose has the potential to be pretty crushing. What a wild, wild Game 1 to set up the series. Mitchell was awesome, but Brunson was absolutely unconsciously hot, and the Knicks are up 1-0. The Cavs being out-scored 44-11 over the final 12 minutes of play will make this one feel like more than just one loss, even though it is.
• The Cavs now continue their run of games with only one day off, and the Knicks are now back into their rhythm. Considering all that went well for three quarters, this is an especially brutal Game 1 defeat for Cleveland.

Ryan Lewis covers the Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavs score, instant reactions to Game 1 collapse vs. Knicks