Dave Portnoy curses Cavaliers amid thrilling Knicks comeback

Cavaliers Fans Point Fingers at Portnoy After Game 1 Collapse

So, are Cavaliers fans really throwing blame at Dave Portnoy for the team’s fourth-quarter meltdown during their Game 1 loss to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals?

When Cleveland was ahead by a decent margin, the Barstool Sports founder seemed to tempt destiny by posting a snarky comment on X, advising Knicks fans to “keep your head up.”

Although Portnoy is a known Celtics fan, he mentioned, “Having won a bunch of Eastern Conference Finals myself, I just want to say to Knicks fans: don’t throw in the towel yet.” He said it seemed like a rusty game and speculated that maybe Cleveland was feeling too confident after their win against a weak Sixers team. “It’s a long series. You all know it won’t be a walk in the park. You’re not that great, but you could still pull it off. Good luck.”

The Knicks pulled off an incredible comeback in the final quarter, erasing a 22-point deficit in just eight minutes and ultimately winning 115-104 in overtime.

Portnoy later pointed out that the Knicks have been on an 18-1 run since his tweet.

He added, “I’m aware a lot of you will be quick to delete the tweet below, but that’s just not how I roll. I take responsibility. Leaders lead.” He reiterated this sentiment in a follow-up post on X.

The Knicks’ remarkable performance marked their second consecutive trip to the Conference Finals, a feat they hadn’t achieved since 2000.

Historically, dating back to the 1996-97 season, the Knicks held a dismal record of 0-277 when facing a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter of regular-season or playoff games—until Tuesday’s Game 1 win.