Cavs Coach Stresses Defense After Win Over Sixers

Atkinson highlighted the team’s improvement in the third quarter, where Cleveland outscored Philadelphia 34-24, an area they had recently struggled with.

“We had an honest talk at halftime,” Atkinson said. “We showed some clips, they just weren’t feeling us. They were running where they wanted to, we had no ball pressure. Our energy was low, our physicality wasn’t great. These guys are a winning group and they turned it up.”

Before this game, Cleveland had posted a -25 point differential in their last three third quarters, making it a major area of focus. Atkinson pointed out the grueling schedule as a factor, with this game marking their 13th in just 24 days, a league-high.

“Yes, I do think that’s part of it and I said it last game, it’s part of the reason we’re using our bench so much,” Atkinson said. “We understand the context, we understand the schedule, there’s definitely some of that too.”

The team’s defense stood out in the closing stretch, with Atkinson singling out Isaac Okoro for his impact on ball pressure.

“I thought Isaac [Okoro] was super important,” Atkinson explained. “Putting the pressure on the ball… It was all defense, we were switching everything and we decided to go back to what we call ‘coverage.’ They were really hurting us with the switch driving us. I think that really helped us, but really it was about our intensity, we didn’t have the requisite energy, requisite physicality in the first half.”

Atkinson emphasized the importance of ball pressure, crediting Okoro for his strong performance. Okoro’s solid defense and shooting have played a significant role in keeping him in the starting lineup. He is shooting 48.5% from three this season, by far a career-high.

“I wish there was a measurement for it [ball pressure],” Atkinson said. “I think we are top-five in turning teams over this year, it’s been definitely a big emphasis for us because we got the two-shot blockers back there… We talk about steals, swipes, and pokes while still keeping good body position, I think it’s important.”

This victory extended the Cavs’ winning streak to 13 games, marking their longest to start a season in franchise history. The streak also ties their longest at any point in a season. While losses will eventually come, their response to adversity will define the team’s character. It is important for Cleveland to not get too high or too low so early into the season. Regardless, enjoy the run Cavs fans. For now, Cleveland remain undefeated almost a month into the season, with Kenny Atkinson proving to be a driving force behind their historic run.