Dan Gilbert believes that if the Cavaliers win the first round of the Eastern Conference Finals, it could change the outcome of the series.

In an interview, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert discussed the 2025/26 NBA Eastern Conference Finals journey, suggesting that if the Cavaliers could win the first round, the team's morale would be different, and the final outcome could be rewritten.

In the first round of the 2025/26 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the New York Knicks 104-115 on the road, thanks to goals from Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Evan Mobley.

In the subsequent Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers were still unable to change the situation and were eliminated by the New York Knicks with a score of 0-4. Mike Brown's team eventually defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals and successfully won the championship.

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said, "What really broke us was the first game in New York. It was the first round, and it was on the road. That game could have set the tone for the entire series."

“We were leading by 22 points with 7 minutes left in the game, but we were ultimately overtaken by our opponents. The series was actually over at that moment. After such a loss, it is very difficult for the team to get back up, and we certainly didn’t.”

Dan Gilbert continued, "What I mean is, if we had won that road game, the whole series would have been completely different. I'm not saying we would have definitely advanced, but the series would never have turned out the way it did."

"I think it's more because the New York Knicks played so well. They made almost every shot, the team had great chemistry, and the coach was excellent. And that coach was our former head coach, Mike Brown. We were the first team to hire him as head coach."

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