The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t able to secure a victory on Thursday night, but they still had plenty to be proud of.
Following a 114-112 defeat to the Indiana Pacers, head coach Kenny Atkinson spoke with the press about his big takeaways from the game.
He saw it as an opportunity for his bench players to show what they were capable of, and he was proud of them.
“It’s a sign of a good program. I’ve been saying all year we’re 18-deep. That’s why I have confidence going into these types of games where we know we’re going to play the bench a lot and our young guys a lot. We gave ourselves a chance to win. Really proud of the bench,” Atkinson said, via Dylan on X. “There’s moral victories; this is one of them.”
Kenny Atkinson Postgame After Loss vs Pacers:
“[0:37] There are moral victories, this is one of them. I really loved how we competed tonight…. they understand we got a deep team. [1:25, Ejection] I don’t regret that one. It’s Tristan Thompson. He is 14 years in the league…. I… pic.twitter.com/3B92RSDHDL
— Dylan🔮🪼 (@dillybar2145__) April 11, 2025
Cleveland’s place in the playoffs is confirmed, which means now is the time for the regular starters to get some rest.
So on Thursday, it was De’Andre Hunter, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, Ty Jerome, and Jarrett Allen starting, a mix of the usual suspects and some new additions.
Atkinson also called up the second unit more, and Isaac Okoro, Craig Porter Jr., Javonte Green, and Tristan Thompson all got more time on the court.
They weren’t able to pull off the win, but they worked hard on the court and gained more experience as a unit.
This will be important in the postseason, especially if a series runs long and all players are needed.
Atkinson is proud that he has so many bench players to use and can rely on more than his starting five.
They showed a lot of hustle during Thursday’s game even though they didn’t win, so this game was still a victory for Atkinson and his coaching staff.
NEXT: Pacers HC Raves About Ty Jerome On Thursday
