This isn’t exactly uncharted territory for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
If anything, it’s eminently familiar.
The Cavs return home down 0-2 to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals — just like they went home down 0-2 to the Detroit Pistons in the previous round of the NBA playoffs.
It’s an experience the Cavaliers say they’ll draw from going into Game 3 at Cleveland’s Rocket Arena on Saturday night.
“This isn’t our first time at it, right? This is not our first time facing adversity,” Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell said after Thursday night’s 109-93 loss at Madison Square Garden.
“We’ve been through two Game 7s, so being down 2-0 is not the biggest challenge. It’s just right here, so let’s go ahead and take advantage of it. [We] understand that they’re going to make adjustments. We are as well.”
The Cavaliers won their first-round series against the Toronto Raptors in seven games, then did the same against the Pistons in the second round.
Against top-seeded Detroit, the Cavaliers won Games 3 and 4 at home to even the series.
Overall, Cleveland is 6-1 at home in the playoffs, compared to 2-7 on the road.
“We could have easily stolen Game 1 [against the Knicks],” head coach Kenny Atkinson said, referring to Tuesday night’s overtime loss in which the Knicks overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit.
“I thought our process was right [in Game 2], so that gave me confidence going home. Obviously, we’ve got the great home crowd, have played well at home in the playoffs.”
Cleveland is averaging 114.6 points per game at home in the playoffs, compared to 104.4 on the road.
Their disparity between 3-point percentage at home (37.6%) and on the road (30.6%) is similarly dramatic.
Mitchell is averaging 28.4 points per game at home this postseason, up from 23.9 on the road. Co-star James Harden averages 22.4 points per game at home, compared to 17.4 on the road.
“One thing we told our team is that they’re very good at home,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said.
“Cleveland is well-coached. Kenny’s an excellent coach, and they have a load of talent on that team. We know those guys are hungry and they don’t quit, so we know this Game 3 is going to be tough in Cleveland, because they’re coming.”
In their Game 2 loss, the Cavaliers shot just 9-of-35 (25.7%) from 3-point range, with role players Sam Merrill and Max Strus finishing a combined 2-of-15 from the field and 1-of-11 from deep.
Mitchell scored 26 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including 2-of-7 on 3-pointers.
“It looks worse and feels worse when we’re not making shots — open shots,” Mitchell said. “That’s why for us, and for me, I’m not sitting here, like, ‘Oh, man,’ scrambling, trying to figure things out. At the end of the day, if we make some shots, we’ll be in great shape.”
Thursday marked the second consecutive game in which the Knicks unleashed a massive second-half run against the Cavs, the latest being an 18-0 surge in Game 2’s third quarter.
The Knicks had nine days of rest in between their second-round sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers and the start of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Cleveland had just one day off after its Game 7 win in Detroit.
Mitchell appeared hobbled in the first half of Thursday’s loss, which Atkinson noticed. But Atkinson thought Mitchell moved better after halftime, and Mitchell denied dealing with an injury.
“We need to get our legs under us, quite honestly,” Atkinson said. “We know their rest advantage. Getting home always helps with that.”
Mitchell, meanwhile contended the Cavs aren’t tired and will be ready to go against the Knicks, who are 4-1 on the road in the playoffs.
“Nothing to hang our heads about,” Mitchell said. “They protected home court. We’ve seen this before, so we’ve got to go get Game 3.”
