The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped to 17-2 following a 135-124 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at home. The game marked the Cavs’ first home loss of the season after a perfect 10-0 start. Hawks guard Trae Young set an NBA season-high and career-high with a staggering 22 assists to pace Atlanta. Following the game, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson had some brutally honest comments about his team.
Cavs Coach Brutally Honest After Hawks Loss
“We haven’t had a stinker yet this year,” Atkinson said in a postgame interview. “That was a stinker. So, you know it happens in the NBA. It’s unfortunate it happened in front of our home crowd. But, we kind of deserved what we got tonight.”
Atkinson is right. Atlanta’s 135 points are the most the Cavs have given up in a game this season. Additionally, as a team, the Cavs allow 26.1 assists per game; they gave up 39 on Wednesday. The Hawks shot an impressive 47.6% from behind the arc but only 47.3% from the field. The Hawks’ pace was a nightmare for Cleveland. Atlanta ranks second in pace this season.
“Give them [Atlanta] a tremendous amount of credit,” Atkinson said. “They shot the heck out of it. It started with their pace. The first place we leaked was in transition; we knew that coming in. Our communication has got to be better, our physicality has got to be better. I thought it was better in the second half, but by that time, they were rolling.”
This is only the Cavs’ second loss of the season; they still boast the league’s best record at 17-2. In the Cavs’ first loss of the season against the Boston Celtics, Evan Mobley only took 13 shots and was seemingly a non-factor in the offense that night, especially late. Against the Hawks, though Mobley notched 22 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and seven stocks, he was Cleveland’s best player on the court, showing why he should get the ball late in close games.
“We were a little more intentional getting him [Mobley] the ball,” Atkinson explained. “Again, I’ll counter by saying we got too stagnant and pick-and-roll oriented at the very end. I’d say over the course of the game, we did a pretty good job getting him the ball, I thought he played a very good game.”
The Cavs shot only 46.3% from the field and a measly 31.3% from three. Despite the poor shooting night, Atkinson was happy with his team’s shot profile.
“I don’t know what the second half looked like, I thought the first half, I know our shot quality was almost perfect,” Atkinson said. “We’re getting all the shots, you know, these games happen it was bound to happen that we have a bad shooting night. But, what really bothers me on a bad shooting night is that what’s your character like, do you stick your nose in there and get stops when you’re not making shots? That’s probably the most disappointing thing about tonight.
The Last Word
The Cavs rank 11th in defensive rating so far this season. Their impressive offense has been the standout force for their hot start. But, on nights when shots don’t fall, the defense has to pick it up, which did not happen on Wednesday. Regardless, the Cavs will get another shot at these Hawks on Friday in the NBA Cup.
