All good things must come to an end, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are aware of that.
The Orlando Magic snapped their 16-game winning streak – the longest in franchise history – on Sunday with a 103-108 loss.
The Cavs were a little flat in the second half of the game, and it felt like they settled for too many long-range shots.
However, when asked about the 40 three-pointers, coach Kenny Atkinson was pretty much unfazed.
As pointed out by Evan Dammarell on X, Atkinson didn’t care about the number of shots from beyond the arc, stating that he would focus on the quality of said shots instead.
#Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson isn’t concerned about Cleveland taking 40 three-pointers and is more focused on diving into the shot quality of those attempts.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) March 16, 2025
The Cavs shot 10 of 40 from downtown (25%), which is far below their usual standards.
Had a couple of shots gone their way, they would’ve likely beaten the Magic.
That’s just how things go in basketball at times, and there’s no need to sound the alarms.
Granted, the Magic’s physicality and strong defense, even without Jalen Suggs, made life difficult for the Cavs, and it may have exposed how to force them to take contested and long-range shots, but there’s still no need to panic.
This team has showcased a high basketball IQ and great shot selection for most of the season, and this blunder might be more of a fluke than an actual trend.
The Cavs are now 56-11 for the season and still more likely to win 60 games before they drop 15.
With that in mind, they should focus on fixing what needs to be fixed now that there’s no pressure at all.
NEXT: De'Andre Hunter Sends A Clear Message After Cavs' Loss On Sunday
