The pressure on the Cleveland Cavaliers reached a new level Saturday night, and head coach Kenny Atkinson did not hide from the reality after a 121-108 loss to the New York Knicks pushed Cleveland to the brink of elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Following the Game 3 defeat at Rocket Arena, Atkinson repeatedly pointed to one issue: New York’s physicality. The Knicks improved to 10 straight playoff wins and moved within one victory of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 after controlling the game from the opening minutes.
“I did think their physicality and energy level was much higher than ours,” Atkinson said postgame. “Credit to them. Their physicality really got us. They turned us over early. They were into the ball very handsy, the whole grab and hold thing, which is part of it. We struggled to play through that physicality tonight.”
The Cavaliers entered the game hoping a return home would stabilize the series after back-to-back losses in New York, but Cleveland again struggled to generate consistent offense from the perimeter. The club finished 12-for-41 from three-point range, while the Knicks shot 55.8% from the field and hit 11 threes.
Asked why Cleveland’s outside shooting has fallen off during the series, Atkinson admitted there was no easy explanation.
“I don’t know. I’m sure our shot quality was good again, just not going down,” Atkinson said. “You got to run back, keep running back on defense. It puts a lot of pressure on your defense, especially against a really good offensive team like that.”
The Cavaliers committed 17 turnovers, and Atkinson repeatedly connected those mistakes to New York’s defensive pressure. He also credited the Knicks for sustaining momentum that Cleveland has struggled to interrupt.
“Whatever the stats say tonight, they were the much better team,” Atkinson said. “They’re playing great basketball. Nine playoff wins in a row. That’s really hard to do. They’re on a hell of a run. We haven’t been able to stop the momentum.”
Jalen Brunson again led the Knicks, scoring 30 points while consistently getting to his preferred spots in the halfcourt. Atkinson acknowledged the challenge of slowing him down.
“He’s so shifty with the ball,” Atkinson said. “You’d love to keep him to his right hand all the time but it’s really hard. They were eight for nine from mid-range in that first half. They had a lot of juice. They’re hitting tough shots.”
The Cavaliers also faced issues in transition, getting outscored 17-4 in fast-break points. Atkinson suggested fatigue could be part of the equation after Cleveland’s seven-game semifinal series against Detroit, while New York swept Philadelphia and entered the conference finals with fresher legs.
“They know our guys have played 50% more minutes than them,” Atkinson said. “If I’m the opposing coach I’m going to run these guys, wear them out, be super physical. It’s a good strategy.”
Despite trailing 3-0, Atkinson stressed belief inside Cleveland’s locker room and kept his message simple ahead of Monday’s Game 4.
“Get one,” Atkinson said. “We got to get one and then we’ll go from there. It’s our pride, our team pride, individual pride. Get one and then we’ll go from there.”
He also made clear the Cavaliers will not abandon their identity offensively, even amid poor shooting.
“We have to,” Atkinson said when asked whether Cleveland must keep shooting. “These guys are NBA players. We have great shooters. Got to keep letting it fly. If you start doubting then it gets worse.”
