Cavs’ Jarrett Allen preaches resilience after ‘crushing’ Game 1 vs. Knicks

The Cleveland Cavaliers walked out of Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night carrying the weight of a collapse that may haunt them for quite some time. After blowing a 22-point lead with under eight minutes left in regulation, Cleveland unraveled late. They eventually fell 115-104 in overtime to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Center Jarrett Allen did not shy away from calling it what it was: “a crushing blow.” Still, Allen insisted Wednesday that Cleveland’s postseason resilience gives the team confidence heading into a pivotal Game 2.

“Understanding that we didn’t have the best effort last night… the resiliency is gonna show tomorrow in how we come out,” Allen told reporters. “I just feel like we could’ve done more… come out with more energy and effort to stop them more.”

Jarrett Allen At Cavs Practice Before Game 2 vs Knicks:

“[0:14, Not Letting Game 1 Loss Shake You] I think you have to look at the positives. There are a lot of negatives we can point out with how we ended the game but I feel like we played three good quarters of basketball… pic.twitter.com/YuQhR6GJkc

— Dylan (@dillybar2145__) May 20, 2026

Cleveland appeared firmly in control before Jalen Brunson, who erupted for 38 points, and the Knicks closed regulation on a devastating 30-8 run fueled by timely shooting from Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet. Allen even referenced the team’s Christmas Day collapse earlier this season. He noted that the Cavs have unfortunately experienced similar heartbreak before.

Cleveland now finds itself facing adversity after surviving back-to-back seven-game playoff wars against the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons. If the Cavs hope to even the series, Allen believes improved energy, rebounding, and communication must immediately become priorities.

Allen has quietly been one of Cleveland’s most important postseason anchors throughout the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The veteran big man delivered a dominant 23-point, seven-rebound performance in Game 7 against Detroit. He helped send the Cavaliers to the Conference Finals, while also posting a monstrous 22-point, 19-rebound outing earlier in the postseason versus Toronto.

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