CLEVELAND — Before Donovan Mitchell faced his hometown Knicks in the playoffs, the Cavaliers' All-Star guard was asked when the inner New Yorker — fast-moving, tough-minded, ultra-competitive — in him comes out most often.
Mitchell paused and smiled.
"Good question," he said. "We'll see."
It's already time for Mitchell to tap into some of that East Coast attitude, aggressiveness and abruptness.
And for his teammates to get a lot tougher.
Revealing their flaws, the Cavs got pushed around in the series opener, losing 101-97 to the Knicks, who took command early and quieted a Cleveland crowd that had waited five years for the chance to scream again in the postseason.
The Cavs need to rebound, literally and figuratively, in Game 2 on Tuesday night or face the prospect of visiting Madison Square Garden later this week in an 0-2 hole. That would be a daunting task for any team, never mind one like Cleveland, which doesn't have much postseason experience.
Playoff jitters weren't a problem in the opener. The Cavs were sorta soft.
New York outrebounded Cleveland 51-38, and the Knicks grabbed 17 offensive boards, none bigger than the last by Julius Randle, who outworked Cavs forward Evan Mobley to corral Jalen Brunson's miss with 6.9 seconds to go.
Sunday was spent reviewing film of what went wrong. On Monday, the Cavs got on the floor to fix it.
They have to be more physical and Cleveland center Jarrett Allen said that's as easy as flipping a switch.
"We've done it before," said Allen, who had 14 rebounds in Game 1. "During the regular season, we did it almost every game. We come out flat in the first quarter and then somehow in the second half, we turn into the best team in the world.
"I still believe that we can do it in the rest of the series."
Mitchell did his part in his Cleveland playoff debut, scoring 38 points, leaping into the stands after a loose ball and diving headfirst on the floor for a tipped assist.
He'll get another shot, and this time the Cavs need to join him in the fight.
KNICKS AT CAVALIERS
New York leads 1-0. Game 2, 7:30 p.m. EDT, Bally Sports Ohio and TNT
NEED TO KNOW: With Randle returning from an ankle injury, the Knicks shook off first-half foul trouble for Brunson in Game 1 and made all the big plays down the stretch to win a series road opener for the first time since 1999. The Cavs insist they're ready for the big stage. It didn't always look that way Saturday.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Cleveland's bench. The Cavs need someone outside their starting five to have a major impact, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff may have to consider other options like gritty forward Lamar Stevens or sharpshooter Danny Green, who may be a defensive liability but can spread out New York's defense.
INJURY WATCH: The Knicks had finally gotten back to full strength only to have versatile guard Josh Hart sustain a sprained left ankle that may keep him out of Game 2. Hart had 17 points, 10 rebounds and hit a clutch 3-pointer the closing minutes in the opener. He had been listed as doubtful but has since been upgraded to questionable.
PRESSURE IS ON: Cavs guard Darius Garland had just one assist in Game 1 and didn't attempt a shot in the fourth as the Knicks trapped him before Bickerstaff finally moved him to the off-guard spot. Garland's dribble penetration is key to getting Cleveland's big men, especially Mobley, more involved in the offense.