Kenny Atkinson is trying to put some distance between himself and the analytics comment that followed Cleveland’s playoff collapse, but the New York Knicks made sure the conversation stayed uncomfortable on Saturday.
Months after the Cavaliers were swept in the Eastern Conference Finals, Atkinson revisited the remark that drew so much mockery after Cleveland fell behind 3-0 in May. His point at the time was that expected-score data suggested the Cavs had “won” two games analytically, even though the results said otherwise. Ahead of the rematch, he made clear that he never meant to diminish what New York did to his team.
“They were by far the better team,” Atkinson said. He also said most of his original comments were really about how thoroughly the Knicks controlled Cleveland.
Atkinson explained that he had been answering a question about what hope remained while his team faced elimination. His response leaned on encouraging underlying numbers, not on the idea that Cleveland had actually earned victories. He also said the backlash taught him something about how quickly a short clip can travel without the full context attached.
The Knicks didn’t offer much room for revision in the game itself. New York rolled to a 109-97 win, with Jalen Brunson scoring 31 points and Karl-Anthony Towns finishing with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell provided a fourth-quarter scoring burst, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.
The loss kept Cleveland under the shadow of that four-game playoff exit, a disappointment that continues to hang over Atkinson’s group. And while the coach still sees value in analytics as a way to measure performance, he also knows the numbers stop mattering when toughness, execution and actual wins are missing.
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Kenny Atkinson Revisits The Cavs Quote Fans Never Forgot
Kenny Atkinson spent part of the week revisiting a line from the previous Eastern Conference Finals that stuck with fans long after the series ended. The comment came when his team was already down 0-3, and he said the point he was trying to make was about expected wins and the broader context of the question, not a claim that his group had somehow earned a better result.
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Cavaliers Just Got A Frustrating Knicks Reminder They Couldn't Ignore
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New Yorks edge was felt in the places Cleveland usually wants to control, with extra possessions and loose balls turning into a steady problem the Cavs never solved. James Harden had a rough night offensively, going 2-for-9 and finishing at minus-23, which only added to the reminder that this matchup can get away from Cleveland quickly when the other team wins the hustle battle and forces the Cavs to chase instead of dictate. [Read more 🡒]