The Cleveland Cavaliers completed a first-round sweep of the Miami Heat on Monday, and head coach Kenny Atkinson opened his postgame comments with a message of respect toward the opponent.
Following the 138-83 blowout win in Game 4, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson opened his press conference with praise for the opposing team, acknowledging the uphill battle Miami faced entering the series.
“Just want to reiterate my respect for the Miami Heat, their program,” Atkinson said. “They went through a gauntlet before they played us. We had a big physical advantage… It’s pretty amazing what they did as a ten-seed to win two play-in games on the road.”
Cleveland, the East’s No. 1 seed, had over a week of rest prior to Game 1 while Miami fought through the play-in tournament. Despite the disparity in preparation time, Atkinson stressed his appreciation for Miami’s competitive spirit.
“They don’t play dirty… they win with humility. When they lose, they’re just a class program,” Atkinson added. “Utmost respect for their club, their coaching staff, players in that locker room.”
Cleveland’s ability to avoid complacency after taking a 2-0 lead was a focal point of the postgame discussion. Atkinson credited the team’s leadership and mental focus.
“Our maturity, our leadership — all that stuff we’ve been talking about all year — we don’t seem to have letdowns,” Atkinson said. “That’s rare with any team.”
The Cavaliers led from start to finish in both games in Miami, winning Games 3 and 4 by a combined 92 points. Jarrett Allen’s two-way dominance stood out throughout the series.
“Defensively, I thought he was phenomenal,” Atkinson said of Allen. “This is the first time I’ve really seen him extend his defense to the three-point line… And offensively, his timely rebounds — offensive rebounds — he had a great series.”
The sweep ensures Cleveland will benefit from another stretch of rest before their next opponent is set. Atkinson acknowledged the value of having extra recovery time in a long postseason run.
“It’s huge,” he said. “If you’re going to script it, this is how you do it. You try to get series over so you can get your rest and sleep in your own bed.”
Cleveland’s bench also drew praise for maintaining intensity and production whenever the starters sat.
“When our bench comes in, we don’t skip a beat,” Atkinson said. “We even get stronger.”
Atkinson also reflected on the evolution of DeAndre Hunter, who had a strong finish to the series after an inconsistent stretch in March.
“He kind of got off-kilter… wasn’t in his routine,” Atkinson said. “But once he got his feet under him again, he took off.”
As the Cavaliers await their second-round matchup, Atkinson believes the battle-tested nature of the series — particularly the first two tightly contested games — provided a valuable learning experience.
“I thought we learned a lot about ourselves in those first two games,” he said. “You learn every series.”
