The Cleveland Cavaliers are in trouble again, and this time, even Charles Barkley could not hide his frustration. After Cleveland's 109-93 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Barkley openly questioned why Evan Mobley barely touched the ball after halftime despite dominating early. The Cavaliers now head home trailing 0-2, while New York looks fully in control behind strong performances from Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson at Madison Square Garden.

Charles Barkley Questions Cavaliers' Offence After Evan Mobley's Strong First Half

Mobley looked aggressive from the opening minutes and gave Cleveland early momentum. He scored 10 first-quarter points, knocked down two three-pointers, and attacked the rim confidently against New York's physical defense. By halftime, Mobley had 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, helping the Cavaliers stay within four points despite struggling offensively.

But the second half completely changed the conversation. Mobley surprisingly did not get a single shot attempt after halftime, something that left Barkley stunned during TNT's postgame show. Barkley said, “How the hell do you score 14 points in the first half and don't get a shot in the second half?” He then added, “He's out there housing people, and y'all want to shoot long jump shots. But that's NBA today. No strategy.”

Meanwhile, Cleveland saw the loss differently after the game. Head coach Kenny Atkinson blamed poor shooting instead of strategy, saying, “I thought our process was right. At the end of the day, you've got to put the ball in the hole. Today we didn't.” The Cavaliers shot just 37% from the floor and missed several open looks, while New York slowly took over behind Hart's playoff career-high 26 points and Brunson's 12 assists.

Cavaliers Head Home After 0-2 Knicks' Setback As Donovan Mitchell Stays Confident

The pressure is now fully on Cleveland heading into Game 3, but Donovan Mitchell does not sound worried yet. Questions around his health continued after another difficult outing, especially after he struggled late in Game 1 and started slowly again in Game 2 before finishing with 26 points in the second half.

Coach Atkinson admitted Mitchell looked stiff early in the game but believed he moved better after halftime. Atkinson said, “Donovan, he's not complaining about it to me. I did see him trying to work through it, probably some stiffness.” Mitchell, however, completely dismissed injury concerns and repeatedly told reporters, “I'm great. Great. Great.”

Still, the Cavaliers know confidence alone will not fix their problems. Cleveland is now facing a Knicks team that looks sharper, fresher, and more physical on both ends. The Cavs missed 10 free throws, struggled from three-point range, and failed to slow down Brunson and Hart consistently. Even with another 0-2 deficit to overcome, Game 3 now feels like the biggest moment of Cleveland's season.