Cavaliers' Failing to Dispel Critical Narratives, Face Another Early Playoff Exit

Any good will gained from that performance evaporated pretty quickly on Sunday night. Cleveland was overwhelmed by Indiana in Game 4 during an eventual 129-109 loss. It was similar to Game 1, where the Pacers were making everything they threw up, and the Cavaliers, on the other hand, couldn't buy a bucket.

What made it so much worse, though, was how lost the Cavaliers looked throughout the majority of a game that they trailed by as many as 44. The Pacers had a decisive and devastating counterpunch ready in Game 4, and Cleveland's was one of a gutless team, looking primed for an early vacation.

Calling it embarrassing doesn't feel inflammatory enough. Game 4 was as pathetic a performance as the Cavaliers have ever had as a franchise. Had such a loss happened to the Cavaliers from two years ago – the one that was stunned by the Knicks in a gentleman's sweep in the first round of the playoffs – it would have been an easier pill to swallow.

Even for last year's Cavaliers team that had the same outcome, only a round later by the eventual champion, Boston Celtics, it wouldn't have felt quite as devastating.

For a 64-win, historically great team that had everyone convinced a trip to the NBA Finals wasn't just a dream but a reality, Sunday's result was as rock bottom, humiliating as a game could ever be. It was unfathomable given how good this team is supposed to be.

That's the problem, though. Every time the Cavaliers are expected to "be something," they're rendered useless by a lack of toughness and lack of physicality at the most important time of year. It's like a broken record at this point, with Cleveland getting bounced from the playoffs before even advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in the same exact fashion: looking dazed and confused by their respective opponent.

Center Jarrett Allen said it best following the team's Game 1 loss last week: "Narratives are hard to change in this league. When something sticks in this league, it's gonna stick for a while."

On the brink of another early playoff exit, all the narratives about the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to tell the story about who this team is. Fair or unfair, it's the truth.

Those who questioned their toughness all season get to be right. Those who said they needed to prove it in the playoffs get to be right. Those who called the 64-win season fools gold get to be right.

Only the Cavs themselves can change those conversations. For a while, it looked like they were finally going to do it. Instead, they're guaranteed only 48 minutes on Tuesday night to try changing people's minds.

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