Overpowering loss: Cavaliers get pushed around again, bounced out of playoffs by Knicks

CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers' abbreviated playoff run cam to a disappointing end. Facing playoff extinction, the Cavs laid it on the line in Game 5 but came up woefully short before a raucous crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The New York Knicks imposed their will on them once again, 106-95, to end Cleveland's season. The physically superior Knicks ran roughshod over the favored Cavs 4-1 in the best-of-seven series to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the winner of the Milwaukee-Miami series. Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 28 points but was discouraged afterward. "I didn't show up for my guys," he said. "That's going to hurt. I'm trying to let it go. It will be tough. "I thought we were good enough to contend. We didn't get the job done." When pressed further, Mitchell said he misfired on numerous shots that he normally makes. "I missed open shots I made all year," he said. The four-time All-Star had a miserable shooting night, going 11-of-26 from the field and 3-of-12 from the 3-point line. Once again, it was Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson who exploited Cleveland's supposedly vaunted defense to the tune of 23 points. However, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson looked like a man among boys with 13 points, a game-high 18 rebounds and three blocked shots. "Jalen Brunson had a masterful series," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. The Knicks held a 61-51 lead at halftime, but power forward Julius Randle hit the deck with 1:17 left after stepping on Cavs forward Caris LeVert's foot. Randle limped to the bench and never returned. Randle missed the last five games of the regular season with a sprained left ankle. However, it didn't make any difference, as forward Obi Toppin stepped in and scored all 12 of his points in the third quarter, including the first seven points for New York. New York had a commanding 48-30 advantage on the boards, including a 17-4 edge on the offensive glass. The 7-foot Robinson pulled down 11 offensive rebounds and continued to make life miserable for Cavs center Jarrett Allen. "Their size weighed on (Allen)," Bickerstaff said. "Mitchell Robinson is a big dude. He impressed his will on the series." Cavs point guard Darius Garland contributed 21 points before fouling out with 1:22 remaining. LeVert, pressed into the starting lineup for the last two games, added 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. As he walked off the court for the last time this season, Garland said he thought about how he would start preparing for next year. "We'll use this as motivation," he said. "(The refs) just let us play. We weren't physical enough. We didn't punch first." The Knicks extended their lead to 87-75 after three quarters. The Cavs narrowed the deficit to 90-84 with 8:07 remaining on Garland's 15-foot jumper, but they couldn't get any closer. "There's a new level of physicality in the playoffs," Bickerstaff said. "You have to be built to win in the trenches. "I'm not disappointed with these guys at all. The guys gave us what they had. You can't manufacture these experiences. You have to go through it and feel it. You have to fail in order to win." Tip-ins Brunson was the best player in the series. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said he's been able to take over games since he started playing basketball."He's always had that ability," he said. "He had it in high school and in college and he's had it in the pros. He's fundamentally strong. He has a great pivot game and a change of pace. He knows how to attack any defense."Brunson averaged 24.2 points and 4.8 assists and shot .457 from the field in the series.His father, Rick, is an assistant coach with the Knicks. Bickerstaff said he speaks to his father every day. He said his dad, former NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff — an adviser with the Cavs — isn't worried about X's and O's. He's more concerned with the human side of the series and how the players are holding up mentally. The Cavs coach said he believes his team's defense was "solid" in the series. They held the Knicks to an average of 99.6 points. The Knicks had a major edge off the bench in the series."Our bench has played well," Thibodeau said. "It's had great chemistry." Guardians manager Tito Francona and as many as 20 of his players were on hand for Game 5. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com and follow him @BobCavsinsider on Twitter. Knicks 106, Cavaliers 95 NEW YORK (106): Barrett 7-13 5-6 21, Randle 4-9 5-6 13, Robinson 6-9 1-4 13, Brunson 8-22 5-5 23, Hart 2-6 0-0 4, Toppin 5-10 0-0 12, Hartenstein 0-1 1-2 1, McBride 0-0 0-0 0, Quickley 5-15 6-6 19. Totals 37-85 23-29 106. CLEVELAND (95): LeVert 6-13 1-2 17, Mobley 2-6 2-4 6, Allen 2-6 0-0 4, Garland 7-13 6-6 21, Mitchell 11-26 3-3 28, Osman 2-5 0-0 6, Stevens 1-1 0-0 3, Okoro 4-5 0-0 10, Green 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-75 12-15 95. New York&emsp;&emsp; 33&emsp;&emsp;28&emsp;&emsp;26&emsp;&emsp;19&emsp;&emsp;—&emsp;&emsp;106Cleveland&emsp; 26&emsp;&emsp;25&emsp;&emsp;24&emsp;&emsp;20&emsp;&emsp;—&emsp; &emsp;95 3-Point Goals—New York 9-29 (Quickley 3-10, Barrett 2-4, Toppin 2-4, Brunson 2-6, Hart 0-2, Randle 0-3), Cleveland 13-33 (LeVert 4-7, Mitchell 3-12, Okoro 2-3, Osman 2-4, Stevens 1-1, Garland 1-6). Fouled Out—New York None, Cleveland 1 (Garland). Rebounds—New York 48 (Robinson 18), Cleveland 30 (Mobley 9). Assists—New York 21 (Randle 6), Cleveland 24 (Mitchell 5). Total Fouls_New York 17, Cleveland 22. A—19,432 (19,432)