Cavaliers vow to be aggressors after being bullied by Knicks in Game 1

CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers believed the referees allowed the Knicks to get away with some bully-ball and uncalled physical play in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

After losing once already on their home court, they vow to push back in Tuesday’s Game 2

“The refs let us play a lot. So we hit first and see the refs react, instead of being punched in the face and just laying down to it,” Cavaliers guard Darius Garland said after the Knicks’ 101-97 victory Saturday night. “I think that’s the mentality we have to have. Go punch first and see what the refs do, see if they blow the whistle or not. Just set the tone for the game with it.”

The Knicks controlled the glass in the opener, holding a 51-38 rebounding edge, including 17 offensive rebounds despite the presence of dual starting big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

“This is a wake-up call and a learning lesson for our guys,” Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff said. “You can’t explain or describe what a playoff game is like. You have to go through a playoff game and understand the physicality of it. Understand what you can and can’t get away with.”

Returning All-Star Julius Randle grabbed 10 rebounds overall, while Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart combined for 18, with five apiece on the offensive end.

“The game changes in the playoffs. The rules change in the playoffs,” Bickerstaff added. “What is a body-to-body foul in the regular season is not body-to-body in the playoffs. This is going to be the story of this series. Can we limit them on the offensive glass? If we can’t, we’re going to have a hard time winning. If we can, we’ll have a chance.”

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Cavaliers swingman Isaac Okoro was elbowed in the face by Randle in the second half without a call, but the Knicks actually were whistled for slightly more personal fouls (20-17) in the game.

“The refs in the regular season might call ticky-tack falls,” Okoro said. “Now knowing that I’m able to get away with a couple hand-checks and nudges, I’m just going to keep doing it.”

Added Garland: “The physicality was definitely the difference for us. A lot of us haven’t played in [the playoffs]. So it was a good learning experience. Now go back and watch the film and just see how we change everything and try to hit first. They kind of took us out of everything because they hit first and we didn’t hit back. We just laid down a little bit. And I think that was the game.”