Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson credited his bench for breaking open Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. “The starters got off to a great start in the beginning of that third quarter… they kind of broke the game open, you know, it was all our bench guys pretty much,” he said.
Atkinson highlighted Jaylon Tyson’s composure. “I’m blown away… our front office identified that… now he’s moved up, it bodes really well for our future if we can get a 6’7”, 6’8” wing, kind of secondary playmaker,” he explained.
The coach also praised Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s defensive development. “He can guard without fouling… even 10 games ago I was like, ‘Nah, we’re not doing that,’” Atkinson said. He added that Tomlin’s growth allows him to be trusted against top-tier opponents like Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Atkinson reflected on the team’s defensive improvement. “Without your defensive player of the year, you always wonder… but I think the young guys, they’re making less mistakes, becoming more solid,” he said. The Cavs held Los Angeles to 48 points in the paint after allowing 16-6 early.
De’Andre Hunter’s performance also drew praise. “That was Dre last season… scoring in isolation, switching on strong offensive players and stopping them… it was good to get him headed in the right direction,” Atkinson said.
The coach emphasized the importance of efficiency from role players. “Dean is not undervalued… when he makes threes, we’re really rolling. He’s the quintessential role player,” Atkinson said, referring to Dean Wade’s 11 points and five rebounds in 18 minutes.
Atkinson addressed the significance of the win in context. “I wouldn’t call it a statement win… but it feels better, more important. You got LeBron here, the Lakers, all that… hopefully it gives some confidence into our group for this road trip,” he said.
Cleveland’s 29-20 record now includes a season-best five-game winning streak. Donovan Mitchell led with 25 points, Jaylon Tyson added 20, and Jarrett Allen contributed 17 points and nine rebounds.
Looking ahead, Atkinson remains focused on process rather than standings. “I’m not even looking at the people ahead of us… we just got to keep stacking them, keep playing good basketball and improving,” he said.
The Cavaliers and Lakers both travel Friday, with Cleveland at Phoenix and Los Angeles at Washington.
