Cavs’ Christmas collapse highlights a problem that won’t go away

The Cavaliers looked like the team everyone thought they’d be this season.

Right up until they didn’t.

Cleveland let a 17-point fourth-quarter lead evaporate and watched the Knicks walk out with a 126-124 home win on Christmas, undone by missed chances and a familiar problem down the stretch. Rebounding. Or lack of it.

This one was a game of runs. The Cavs controlled the first and third quarters, winning those two periods by a combined 29 points. When things were flowing, they looked confident, connected and dangerous.

When momentum flipped in the second and fourth, they never found a way to stop the bleeding.

The final 10 minutes told the story.

New York grabbed five offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter alone, turning them into 10 second-chance points.

Those extra possessions flipped the game. You can’t give a team with that much offensive firepower multiple looks, and Cleveland did exactly that.

The defining moment came late. The Knicks led by two with under 30 seconds to play. Cleveland defended for 21 seconds and forced a tough Tyler Kolek midrange jumper. Miss.

But Evan Mobley lost Karl-Anthony Towns on the weak side, and Towns crashed in from the corner to tip it home. Four-point lead. Ballgame, essentially.

Jalen Brunson was the engine behind the comeback. Thirteen of his 34 points came in the fourth quarter. Kolek added 11 of his own in the final frame and hit all three of his three-point attempts when New York needed them most.

That’s what made this loss sting. Because for about 38 minutes, Cleveland played winning basketball.

The offense stayed hot for a third straight game. The Cavs went 15-of-34 from three, good for 44.1 percent. Darius Garland looked every bit like an All-Star. Mobley returned after nearly two weeks off and moved well, played with force, and gave the Cavs a lift.

Donovan Mitchell led the way with 34 points on 12-of-24 shooting and added six assists. Garland finished with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting and handed out 10 assists. Mobley chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench.

And still, it wasn’t enough.

That’s been the theme. Every time the Cavaliers appear to take a step forward, something pulls them right back.

This game felt like a snapshot of the season so far. Plenty of good. Plenty of progress. One critical flaw that undoes it all.

Now comes another test. Cleveland heads to Texas to face the Rockets on Saturday. Another quality opponent. Another chance to see if this group can finally put together a full 48 minutes.

Because until they do, nights like this are going to keep happening.