Less than 24 hours after losing Game 1 at home to the No. 4-seed Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson was named 2025 NBA Coach of the Year. But, following yet another home loss on Tuesday night, in which they were outscored 36-21 in the fourth quarter – including an 8-0 run in the final 47.2 seconds – Atkinson did not shy away from blaming the physicality of the Pacers and questioning the officials.
“We outplayed them for most of the game,” Atkinson said. “We ran out of gas. We couldn’t really separate ourselves. We couldn’t get open in the half-court. They were grabbing us, holding us. We couldn’t really move, couldn’t get the separation. Every possession, they just upped their physicality – again – grabbing, holding. We couldn’t move and we ran out of gas.”
Kenny Atkinson Also Lamented Officiating Following Game 1 Loss
Following the revelation that two key Cavaliers – Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter – were listed as questionable entering Game 2, Atkinson stated that the Pacers may have crossed the “line of physicality.”
“I don’t think they were dirty plays, but I think it passed a line of physicality,” said Atkinson, according to Cleveland Cavaliers reporter Danny Cunningham.
“That line we’ve kind of been talking about where it became excessive. So number one was the non-call on De’Andre’s layup, which I don’t know. Everyone in the world just look at that play, and they reviewed it, and I’m just in shock. I don’t know. And I guess I gotta know the rules better. So maybe I don’t know the rules. I felt he got absolutely obliterated and dislocated his thumb, so he’ll be questionable. And then Evan [Mobley], around the same time, I can’t remember if it was before or after, [Myles] Turner contests his two-point shot, comes under, clearly under him. And shooters need space to land, and is pushed off balance in kind of our opinion and tweaks his ankle pretty bad. I think you guys saw him limping the rest of the game.”
Atkinson Not One To Shy Away From Criticizing Officials
During their second-to-last meeting of the regular season with the Pacers, Atkinson was assessed a double-technical and was ejected for arguing with officials about what he thought should have been an and-one toward the end of the third quarter.
Atkinson didn’t shy away when asked about what it means for him to show that he’ll back up his players.
“I don’t regret that one,” Atkinson said. “It’s Tristan Thompson. He’s 14 years in the league. Quite honestly, if it was anybody, but to get pushed in the back, a blatant foul like that. There wasn’t a scrum . . . Listen, these refs do a phenomenal job and they miss calls, but I felt like that was a moment you have to stand up for your guys, to stand up for Tristan. So I’ll take that one every day of the week.”
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