The Cleveland Cavaliers have officially lost their fifth game of the season, falling to the Indiana Pacers in a game that wasn’t particularly close.
Losing isn’t something this team has done a lot of this year, so they don’t have a lot of experience in handling losses.
Kenny Atkinson was asked about the reasons for the Cavaliers falling short, and as Evan Dammarell noted on X, Atkinson cited a lack of defensive energy as a big part of the loss.
“You can’t blame it all on missed shots,” Dammarell said.
#Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said he’s disappointed that Cleveland’s defensive energy disappeared in the second half.
“You can’t blame it all on missed shots.”
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) January 13, 2025
The team missed several key shots on offense, but as Atkinson mentioned, winning isn’t just about sheer offense.
If the Cavaliers don’t play strong defense against some of the best teams in the league, including the best in the Eastern Conference, it could be a rude awakening for them, especially in the playoffs.
Thankfully, there is a lot of season left for the Cavaliers to get right and to get back on track.
For their sake, this will hopefully just be a bump in the road, one that they can learn from and adjust their game plan accordingly.
Atkinson has made quite a name for himself as the Cavaliers coach thus far and has earned the trust of the locker room and the fanbase.
He doesn’t tolerate when his team plays under the standards he’s established, which bodes well for the future of this team and how disciplined they’ll be moving forward.
The Cavaliers will need to confront the Pacers in two days, so they’ll get a chance to improve in the areas they struggled in.
NEXT: Fans React To Cavs' Loss To Pacers
