CLEVELAND — The game was over, the series done, the arena — which sounded like the inside of a morgue for 2 ½ hours — emptying as rapidly as if they’d announced there was free money scattering the sidewalks outside, covering Euclid Avenue.

There were 19 seconds left in the game, 19 seconds left in the Cavaliers’ season and it was here that they opted to raise the white flag, making official what had been obvious across just about every inch of these five games and these 12 days: they’d been manhandled by the deeper, smarter, better team.

The Knicks had rolled them.

“They punched us in the mouth,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

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CLEVELAND — Immanuel Quickley saved his best for when the Knicks needed it the most: When starters Julius Randle and Quentin Grimes were out and Jalen Brunson was off his game.

The super sub busted out of his offensive funk just in time Wednesday night, producing a personal series-high 19 points in the Knicks’ 106-95 Game 5 win over the Cavaliers that sent them into the second round of the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

“It felt great, man,” he said. “I was out there having a lot of fun.”

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CLEVELAND — RJ Barrett had done his best to tune out the outside noise. He was staying off social media. Not letting the criticism find his ears or his eyes. 

But after Game 2, he couldn’t help it. 

During his postgame interview, he could hear the television sets in the background, and there was ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith ripping into him after a forgettable performance.

Barrett insisted it didn’t bother him.

He’s heard doubters for years — going back all the way to his days as a top-ranked high school prospect. 

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CLEVELAND — The brutal irony was this: Julius Randle attacked this game straight out of his best-case blueprint.

When Randle is on, really on, he’s going to score in bunches.

He’s going to clear the boards ferociously.

He’s going to set up his teammates with pretty passes.

And he’s going to lean on the other guys’ bigs, all 250 pounds of him. 

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Obi Toppin came up big when Julius Randle exited the game with a sprained ankle.

Toppin finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, playing a majority of the minutes in the second half with Randle sidelined.

He was asked about his performance after the game.

"It's basketball," Toppin told reporters. "Just go out there and just play. That's a good answer, right?"

If Randle has to miss any time in the second round, Toppin will be pivotal to the Knicks' chances.

Stephen A. Smith sees a Knicks NBA Finals appearance in his future.

After the Knicks’ 106-95 first-round series-clinching win over the Cavaliers on Wednesday, the ESPN sports personality tweeted a video, celebrating his team’s victory.

It will be the franchise’s first trip to the second round of the playoffs since 2013 and only their second since 2000.

With cackling laughs and followed by “woah”, Smith happily said “One down. Two more to go. I’m thinking finals, baby! I’m thinking finals!”

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Safe to say the Knicks are enjoying their plane ride back home to New York from Cleveland.

Following their Game 4 win, Jalen Brunson was coy about his celebration following a 3-pointer near the end of the game.

Brunson put his hand to his face right below his nose in the game, and when asked about it in his on-court interview following the game, he responded "don't worry about it."

Brunson has since actually apologized for the answer, and said that he wasn't exactly sure why he did the celebration and that it came to him naturally.

Following the Knicks' Game 5 win to close out the series, his teammates got in on the fun.

After Brunson posted a selfie on Twitter doing the celebration on the plane, his teammates followed along.

Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett's postgame press conference went a bit off the rails.

Robinson was asked about Barrett's aggressiveness, and had to pause after beginning his answer.

"He's coming with great energy and stuff like that," Robinson started his response.

Then Robinson and Barrett looked at each other and couldn't hold back their laughter.

Donovan Mitchell is shouldering the blame for the Cavaliers' first-round exit.

Much like he did after Cleveland's Game 4 loss, Mitchell criticized himself after the team's Game 5 loss that ended their season.

“I didn’t show up for my guys,” Mitchell told reporters after the game.

Mitchell finished with 28 points on 11-of-26 shooting in 44 minutes.

Mitchell Robinson recorded 11 offensive rebounds in the Knicks' Game 5 win to close out the series.

He took a moment to admire his performance during his postgame press conference.

He shared a smile with RJ Barrett next to him as he saw the 11 offensive boards on the box score in front of him.

Spike Lee certainly seemed to enjoy the Knicks winning their first playoff series in a decade.

He was in Cleveland to witness the Knicks' Game 5 win.

After years of watching woeful Knicks seasons, this one likely felt special.

Josh Hart was feasting following the Knicks' Game 5 win to close out the series.

After playing a whopping 46 minutes in the win, Hart enjoyed some chicken wings during his postgame press conference.

Hart finished with four points and 12 rebounds in the win.