The Cleveland Cavaliers were up by 19 points at home against the Atlanta Hawks.
They wound up losing that game by double digits.
That’s not what one would expect from the team with the best record in the league.
Nevertheless, this is still the NBA, and anybody can beat anybody on any given night.
That’s why Kenny Atkinson didn’t want to read too much into what happened.
Following the loss, the coach admitted that the team hadn’t had “a stinker” yet, so they were due for one, just like everybody else in the league (via Spencer Davies).
“We kind of deserved what we got tonight.”
The #Cavs didn’t sugarcoat their loss to the Hawks. Defense needs to be better all around.
Kenny Atkinson, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland diagnose what happened against Atlanta — and how it can be fixed on Friday. pic.twitter.com/ZgqxHxM6de
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) November 28, 2024
Coach Atkinson lamented that this had to happen in front of their home crowd, but that’s how things go in this line of business.
Of course, accountability matters, and it’s perhaps not the best thing to say after a loss, but that doesn’t mean he’s not right.
The Cavaliers were due for a bad loss; everybody is at some point.
They won’t win 17 out of every 18 games every time; that’s unrealistic.
It’ll be interesting to see how they manage to lick their wounds and get back on their feet after this loss.
The Cavs still have the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they can’t afford to go through a slump with the Boston Celtics breathing down their necks.
It’s all about how they respond, whether they show some pride, and whether they make their next opponent pay for this defeat.
NEXT: Stat Shows Encouraging Sign For Cavs' Championship Hopes
