What's the opposite of a Cavalanche?

State of play: The Cavs are now down 2-0 to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals after another demoralizing loss (109-93) last night.

• Both games featured extended second-half runs by the Knicks from which the Cavs never recovered.

The latest: After a tightly contested first half in Game 2, the Knicks stormed out of the gates in the third quarter, authoring an 18-0 run.

• The Cavs were dead on their feet and dead in the water, given their nightmarish shooting performance — 26% on three-pointers, 69% on free throws.

By the numbers: The bench combined for a dismal 1-15 from beyond the arc.

💭 Sam's thought bubble: I'm tempted to say, "We've been here before!"

• Just last series, Detroit won the first two games before the Cavs won four of five to advance to the Conference Finals.

Yes, but: The Cavs look downright exhausted. Donovan Mitchell, in particular, was so gimpy and out of gas Thursday that the national announcers speculated he was battling through an injury.

The bottom line: If they can't find a hidden reserve of energy and will, this could be an extremely short series.

• And the offseason questions — Is Evan Mobley on the trade block? Is Mitchell? Is LeBron returning for one more ride? — will start getting very loud very quickly.

What's next: Game 3: Tomorrow, 3pm (ABC).

• Game 4: Monday, 8pm (ESPN).

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport this week unveiled a $4.8 million expansion of the Central security checkpoint, doubling the number of screening lanes from two to four.

Why it matters: Long security lines are a constant headache at Hopkins, especially during the early-morning rush and peak travel periods.

• It's one reason why Cleveland's airport consistently ranks at or near the bottom among midsize airports in customer satisfaction surveys.

The intrigue: All four lanes are reserved exclusively for TSA PreCheck travelers, so those hoping to take advantage of the faster lines will have to enroll in the program.

Zoom in: The project doubled the queueing space (from 150 to 300 linear feet), reconfigured the CLEAR area to improve passenger flow and renovated the nearby bathrooms.

• TSA also this week rolled out Touchless PreCheck at Hopkins, allowing eligible passengers to move through security without showing ID or boarding passes.
• The feature uses facial-recognition technology and is available only at the Central checkpoint.

The big picture: The expansion is considered a temporary "gap project" ahead of CLEvolution — Hopkins' full-scale terminal modernization plan.

• Construction on the new terminal is expected to stretch into the early 2030s.

What they're saying: "Reconfiguring and expanding the Central Checkpoint allows us to better accommodate passenger demand today while preparing the airport for future growth," Hopkins director Bryant Francis said in a statement.

Reality check: Even with the added lanes, TSA is still urging travelers to arrive early.

What's next: The first phase of CLEvolution — a new Gold parking lot — is expected to begin construction later this summer.

🧰 The Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council has argued for "sensible regulations" on local data centers rather than broad bans. (NEOtrans)

📷 Cleveland City Council plans to introduce legislation to extend a contract with Flock Safety at its June 1 meeting and will hear the city's pitch at a special hearing later in the month. (Signal Cleveland)

🎓 Economics, music theory, physics and sociology are among the 35 undergraduate and graduate programs that Baldwin Wallace University is cutting to pursue financial stability. (Cleveland Scene)

🛒 The popular grocery chain Trader Joe's will open its fourth Northeast Ohio location in University Heights. (Cleveland.com)

Machine Gun Kelly fans are getting new music today.

Driving the news: The Cleveland-bred music star has teamed up with rapper Wiz Khalifa for "Blog Era Boyz."

• The project, billed as a mixtape, harks back to the early 2010s era of carefree pop-rap.

State of play: "Blog Era Boyz" was preceded by two singles — "Girl Next Door," a synth-driven tune about relationships, and the inked anthem "Everything Tatted."

Flashback: MGK and Khalifa previously collaborated in 2014 on "Mind of the Stoner," when both rappers were pushing into the mainstream.

What's next: The duo is touring in support of MGK's latest album, "Lost Americana," through early July.

• Cleveland isn't a stop on the tour, though we suspect Kelly will be in town for the annual MGK Day in August.

🗓️ Mark your calendar with our Event Board.

Cedar Point's Barrels & Bites pairs the region's finest beer, bourbon and wine with chef-crafted food and festive live entertainment June 5-28.

There's a growing scam at gas stations that could leave drivers paying hundreds of dollars for fuel they never pumped.

Why it matters: Sharply higher gas prices appear to be inspiring thieves to invent new schemes to manipulate pumps and drain victims' wallets.

How it works: A scammer quietly places a small screw or bolt in the nozzle cradle so the pump doesn't properly shut off after use.

• That keeps the transaction open, allowing charges to pile up on the victim's card long after they've driven away.

A variation of the scam involves a stranger offering to help an elderly customer by pumping their gas for them.

• After the customer leaves, the scammer improperly hangs up the nozzle so the transaction remains active and they can fill up other cars.

Police have issued warnings in a number of states, including Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona and Texas, and it's believed to be spreading nationally.

How to protect yourself: Beware of helpful strangers, make sure the nozzle latches fully and get a receipt of the transaction.

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