For 3 ½ quarters, the Cleveland Cavaliers looked ready to compete with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.

Then they blew a 22-point lead in Game 1. And it was all downhill from there as the Knicks cruised to a dominant sweep capped by Monday’s runaway win in Game 4 to secure their place in the NBA Finals.

For this, Donovan Mitchell is sorry. Cleveland’s All-NBA guard apologized to fans for the Cavaliers’ lackluster performance against the Knicks.

“I’m sorry for the city of Cleveland for it to be like this in a sweep,” Mitchell told reporters postgame. “That’s ass.”

Mitchell followed up his blunt assessment with a vow to be back and better for another run.

“We’ll be back, we’ll be ready and we’ll be locked in,” Mitchell continued.

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Mitchell has another guaranteed year remaining on his three-year, $153.3 million deal before a player option in 2027-28. If he were to leave in the offseason, it wouldn’t be as a free agent. Regardless, Mitchell made clear that he sees his future with the Cavaliers.

"I love it here,” Mitchell said. “I don't know any other way to say it."

As for his backcourt running mate, James Harden? He also sees his future with the Cavaliers.

“Yes, 100 percent, definitely both” Harden said when asked if he wants to and expects to stay with the Cavaliers. “Want to, definitely want to be here. I think we found something. I think we found something.

“It’s tough not ending it how we wanted to. But I think we found something.”

That may or may not be welcome news for Cavaliers fans. Harden, who has a history of fading in high-stakes playoff scenarios, frequently lived up to that reputation this postseason, his first with the Cavaliers.

He finished Monday’s loss with 12 points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field, including an 0-of-6 effort from 3. He turned the ball over five times. He turned the ball over six times each in Games 1 and 3 and shot 38.1% from the field for the series.

The option to play next season is Harden’s. He has a $42.3 million option on the final year of his contract that it sounds like he intends on exercising if he doesn’t get an extension at 37 years old on the heels of another disappointing postseason performance.

Whatever Harden decides, the Cavaliers have some decisions of their own to make after a run that got them to the Eastern Conference finals that fell woefully short at the end.