Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson addressed his team’s 127-113 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
“Back-to-back nights not shooting it great. Yeah. It’s just two nights on the schedule,” Atkinson said, highlighting the team’s offensive struggles. He cited offensive rebounds as a major factor, noting, “Their offensive rebounding really hurt us. They had nine offensive rebounds in the first half and we lost that physical battle to begin with.”
Atkinson criticized the team’s stagnant offense and turnovers in the third quarter. “We have seven turnovers. I think four of them were live ball turnovers…They get layup, layup, layup, layup,” he explained, emphasizing how the Lakers capitalized to break the game open. Despite the setback, he praised players for their effort in the fourth quarter: “TB and Larry, you know, just phenomenal. We showed pride. Those guys played super hard. Plus 13. So leave it at that positive.”
When asked about slowing the Lakers’ pace in the fourth quarter, Atkinson credited the energy of his bench: “We just had guys that came in…that young group, they got so much energy. Nae’Qwan and TP and CP, those guys…provided the energy we needed.” He stressed that energy translates to rebounding and momentum, which had previously worked against the Cavaliers.
On LeBron James’ defensive impact, Atkinson said, “You can’t back him down in a post. Then you don’t really have a speed advantage…He’s phenomenal defensively, plus he’s got the IQ. He played Evan and us really well tonight.” Regarding Evan Mobley, Atkinson admitted the team’s stagnancy limited opportunities: “It was more of a team situation…we weren’t cutting and moving very stagnant. That hurt Evan.”
Looking ahead to the playoffs, Atkinson expressed confidence in the team’s adaptability. “Always great. They switched everything…we weren’t creating advantages with him switching on us,” he said. He also pointed to injuries as an opportunity for development: “Nae’Qwan gets a lot of burn tonight…TP, with his ball handling…you might need him in the playoffs. To get these reps is invaluable.”
Atkinson emphasized veteran leadership as crucial for maintaining team morale. “If that last group gets their tails kicked…then the spirit of the locker room is not great. For Thomas Bryant, Larry Nance Jr. to lead…that was really cool to see. It helps your development, helps the spirit of your locker room,” he said.
The Cavaliers will face the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, aiming to rebound from their second loss in eight games since March 17, while the Lakers travel to Oklahoma City.
