Bob Finnan: Jobs could be on the line if Cavs go bust in postseason again

It was one of the strangest things I've ever seen. With a legitimate chance to move up to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers made a conscious effort to remain at No. 4. Saying they "tanked" in the fourth quarter of a 120-110 loss to the Charlotte Hornets might be too harsh, but they certainly didn't try very hard to win after coach J.B. Bickerstaff pulled all his regulars in the final quarter and didn't have anyone on the floor who could handle the ball. It made for some very ugly basketball, and fans voiced their displeasure with a solid round of boos. When Tristan Thompson was trying to bring the ball up the court in the fourth, you knew something fishy was going on. The Cavs used their G League contingent in the fourth quarter and were outscored 32-14 by several Charlotte reserves. Emoni Bates committed five of his six turnovers. Cleveland wanted to remain in fourth place and face the fifth-seeded Orlando Magic in the first round. Many believe Bickerstaff's job is on the line if Cleveland can't advance past the first round. Some think he might be jettisoned either way. I think it will be difficult to fire him if he can get the Cavs past the first round. The No. 2 seed wasn't attainable, after all, as the New York Knicks prevailed in overtime over the Chicago Bulls. New York's reward for getting the second seed? A date with the winner of the Philadelphia-Miami play-in game. Cleveland, obviously, wanted nothing to do with either team. The third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks were blown out by Orlando on Sunday and will face the Indiana Pacers. That should be a good series, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo ailing. The Bucks also captured the Central Division title that no one seems to care about anymore. The Cavs caught a lot of flak on social media for backing into their playoff positioning. Had they moved up to No. 3, they could have avoided top-seeded Boston in the second round — if there is a second round for Cleveland. Now, they'll face off with the Magic, which finished just one game behind Cleveland. The teams are evenly matched. However, the Orlando players have little or no playoff experience, which should be in the Cavs' favor. You should have seen the look on Cavs swingman Max Strus' face in the locker room after the loss to Charlotte. Losing just doesn't compute in his world, especially when teams just give away a game the way the Cavs did. Again, if Cleveland can't slip past the Magic, heads will likely roll. One would have to think Bickerstaff is coaching for his job in the series. Things looked so bright for the Cavs midway through the season, as they won 17-of-18 games at one point. Then, injuries to key personnel took a major toll on the team. Even though they now have all their key players back, they have yet to regain their mojo. Personally, I would have wanted to head into the playoffs on a winning streak but what do I know? The Cavs' higher-ups are paid big bucks to make decisions like they did. Cleveland had better get past Orlando or whoever made the decision to manipulate the outcome of the Charlotte game will pay for it with his job. Bob Finnan can be reached at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.