Charles Barkley sounds off on Cleveland Cavaliers’ ‘choke job’ vs. New York Knicks
Charles Barkley did not soften his words after the Cleveland Cavaliers threw away Game 1 against the New York Knicks. Cleveland had control, the lead, and a chance to take an early advantage in the Eastern Conference Finals, but the final stretch turned into exactly the kind of collapse Barkley hates watching.
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images Charles Barkley did not soften his words after the Cleveland Cavaliers threw away Game 1 against the New York Knicks. Cleveland had control, the lead, and a chance to take an early advantage in the Eastern Conference Finals, but the final stretch turned into exactly the kind of collapse Barkley hates watching. The Cavaliers stopped playing with pace, stopped attacking, and gave New York the opening it needed to steal the game in overtime.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images Charles Barkley rips the Cleveland Cavaliers’ choke job in Game 1 Speaking in a clip shared by Awful Announcing , Charles Barkley called out the Cavaliers after their late-game collapse against the Knicks. Barkley said, “Hell yeah, that was a choke job. No, that was a choke job.
Okay, come on, man. They started taking air out of the ball with six minutes to go like dummies. ” The criticism was blunt, but the numbers made it difficult to argue.
Cleveland led by 22 points with under eight minutes left in regulation before New York stormed back for a 115-104 overtime win. Jalen Brunson powered the comeback with 38 points, and the Knicks closed regulation and overtime on a stunning 44-11 run. Cleveland’s late offense became too slow and too predictable, with Donovan Mitchell and James Harden forced into difficult late-clock possessions instead of the Cavaliers continuing to move the ball.