Tim Legler: The Cavs Lost Because They Were Scared, Not That They're Tired

ESPN's Tim Legler breaks down exactly how a 22-point lead evaporates, walking through the defensive switching breakdowns, the half-hearted doubles that confused everyone, and the moment the Cavs collectively stopped playing to win and started playing to survive. His most pointed take: this wasn't a gassed team, because a gassed team doesn't play the elite two-and-a-half quarters of defense the Cavs played before the collapse. Mitchell camping on the wing instead of demanding the ball is the offensive mystery nobody has answered yet, and Harden's ceiling and floor being this far apart in the same series is just the reality of what Cleveland signed up for.