There’s no tomorrow for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Once again, Kenny Atkinson‘s team failed to close out the deal, this time blowing a 20-point lead in the most heartbreaking fashion.
Now, the series will head to Indianapolis, and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle couldn’t be happier about that.
Following the win, the former NBA champion pointed out how difficult it was to face a team with such synergy, especially in front of their home crowd:
“If a team is playing with that level of force and connectivity and physicality and the crowd is behind them the way they were, they’re going to kick your a—, they were kicking our a— for a long time,” Carlisle said. “Swimming upstream isn’t even the word. We were trying to go into a hurricane that was coming at us.”
The Cavs will have to do plenty of heavy lifting in a hostile environment.
They will have to win four of the next five games, and dropping Game 3 will most likely all but end their season.
Despite being undermanned, they proved that they could hold their ground and beat the Pacers, but they ran out of gas at the time.
Those who want to see the glass half full can find comfort in the fact that they led by 20 points despite not having Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, and Evan Mobley.
That gives a glimmer of hope about a potential comeback if any of them – or all of them – suits up and plays in Games 3 and 4.
Nevertheless, even if they do return, they will most likely be limited.
The Cavs need to find a way to get their stars back on the court.
No one is fully healthy at this point in the season, and this is what it’s all about.
There’s no margin for error anymore, and they will have the entire offseason to heal.
NEXT: Brian Windhorst Gets Honest About Cavs' 4th Quarter Collapse
