Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson credited a shift in mentality and execution after his team closed out a 116-109 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.
Atkinson pointed to James Harden’s late-game shotmaking as the stabilizing force after early series struggles in clutch situations. “That’s the James Harden I’ve seen for how many years he’s been in the NBA. That’s the James we know. We needed it tonight,” Atkinson said. “We got some good screens into the matchups we wanted and he went to work.”
Cleveland had lost control of late-game stretches in the first two games, but Atkinson said the response in Game 3 reflected belief inside the locker room. “We know how important it is to get this first win to make it a series,” he said. “That’s the spirit of this team, right? We don’t get down.”
He also emphasized how missed shots did not break the team’s structure. “I’m like, man, we’re getting great looks. We’re missing,” Atkinson said. “Stay with it. It’s a veteran team. They kind of know that’s how this goes.”
The Cavaliers built a 17-point lead before Detroit fought back and briefly took control, but Atkinson highlighted multiple contributors who helped steady the game. “Dennis gave us great energy. He’s giving us another ball handler against their pressure,” he said. “Sam comes in, gets two charges. Jaylon hits that big corner three when we’re struggling. So a lot of guys contributed tonight.”
The head coach also pointed to Harden’s varied scoring approach late in the fourth quarter. “It wasn’t just a step back three,” Atkinson said. “He drove, then he hit the step back, then he drove again. The variety of his repertoire was impressive.”
Inside the paint, Atkinson said Cleveland’s big-man usage still requires improvement, even in a win. “We aren’t rewarding those guys enough,” he said of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. “We got to involve them more. We have to shift from being ‘I want open threes’ to getting to the rim or throwing it to our big guys.”
Max Strus also drew strong praise after a key defensive sequence that changed momentum. “That steal on the out-of-bounds play, we usually label one winning play. That was the winning play of the game,” Atkinson said. “It got the crowd going. It got our mojo going.”
Defensively, Atkinson stressed the ongoing challenge of limiting Cade Cunningham, who finished with a triple-double despite eight turnovers. “He’s a great player, and we got to keep making him work,” Atkinson said. “We got to keep trying to make it difficult on him.”
Atkinson also revealed a more aggressive rotation approach in a high-stakes setting. “Tonight we went off script. Screw the rotations,” he said. “We just got to feel this one out and find the five guys that are going to help us win.”
He later acknowledged that approach could become part of Cleveland’s playoff identity. “Yeah, I think we got to go with our guys,” Atkinson said. “It’s the playoffs.”
Rebounding and possession control remained a concern despite the victory. “We’re minus 14 in the possession game,” Atkinson said. “It’s really hard to win in this league with that disparity. We can’t have that.”
As the series shifts forward, Atkinson framed the win as both relief and reset. Cleveland now trails 2-1 but regains momentum heading into Game 4. “We know it’s a war, not just one battle,” he said. “It’s about getting four wins.”
