Cavs owner promises ECF Game 1 collapse 'will soon be a distant memory'

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. Mandi Wright/USA TODAY NETWORK

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert promises ECF Game 1 collapse against Knicks 'will soon be a distant memory'

By Clark Dalton | Last updated May 20, 2026 11:38 AM ET

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert remains an optimist even after his team blows a massive lead in the fourth quarter of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The New York Knicks trailed the Cavaliers 93-71 with 7:44 remaining in the fourth quarter in Game 1 of the ECF in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Somehow, New York erased the 22-point deficit and won 115-104 in overtime, completing the second-largest fourth-quarter postseason comeback since 1997 (per NBA Communications).

Gilbert admitted it's challenging to find the positive after the meltdown, but it's only Game 1 of a best-of-seven series. And he expects his resilient squad to rebound in Game 2 in New York on Thursday night (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET).

Dan Gilbert shares a message after Game 1 loss

"Hey Cavs fans, that's as tough as it gets," Gilbert wrote on X while tagging the fan base. "Hard to find anything good to say about blowing a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter on the road in the ECF. But at the end of the day, it's one game, and this team has proven over and over again that it can come here stronger than ever. Let's get Game 2 Thursday night, and all of this will soon be a distant memory."

Hey @cavs fans… that’s as tough as it gets. Hard to find anything good to say about blowing a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter on the road in the ECF. But at the end of the day, it’s one game, and this team has proven over and over again that it can come back stronger than…
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) May 20, 2026

It's hard to forget about blowing a 22-point lead in a postseason game, but the Cavaliers have regularly flushed humiliating losses from their minds during the postseason.

The Knicks’ 22-point fourth-quarter comeback is the largest in a Conference Finals game since 1997.

Since 1997, the only larger fourth-quarter comeback to win any playoff game is the Clippers’ 24-point rally against the Grizzlies in Game 1 of the 2012 First Round. https://t.co/TBHKigR7bJ
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 20, 2026

Cleveland lost Game 6 at home in the second round against the Detroit Pistons, 115-94. The Cavaliers then dismantled the Pistons 125-94 in Game 7 in Detroit. Keep in mind that the team didn't play as poorly in most of Game 1 of the ECF as it did in Game 6 of the second round.

"We could've lost by 40. It still would've been 1-0," Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, who scored 29 points Tuesday, told the media postgame. "...We played pretty solid for three quarters or so. We'll make adjustments and go from there."

Making the correct adjustments will be crucial for Cleveland. If the Cavaliers don't do that, blowing Game 1 will become an even worse memory, leaving Gilbert more disappointed.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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