The Cleveland Cavaliers won their biggest game of the season so far.
The best record in the league was on the line, and they took care of business.
Notably, that may also have been the best regular-season game of the year.
That’s why, following the win, coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t even want to talk about the outcome of the game.
Instead, he talked about how great these kinds of games were for the league and the fans (via Sam Amico).
“Was that a great basketball game? Forget who won and who lost. Great for the game. Playoff atmosphere, pure competition. It was just a great game for the league, for the fans,” he said.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson: “Was that a great basketball game? Forget who won and who lost. Great for the game. Playoff atmosphere, pure competition. It was just a great game for the league, for the fans.”
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) January 9, 2025
That’s right on point.
The league is experiencing a ratings crisis, and this is what it needs to do to regain the fans’ interest.
The league needs to do a much better job of marketing the teams, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Cavs.
Instead, they spend most of the time discussing the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers or the struggling Golden State Warriors.
The game went back and forth from start to finish.
While the Cavs were mostly on top, multiple lead changes occurred, and the Thunder refused to cave in.
Granted, they will likely have Chet Holmgren back in a potential NBA Finals matchup.
Then again, Donovan Mitchell won’t shoot the ball so poorly in a seven-game series, either.
It was an epic chess match between two great tacticians, and hopefully, all other teams in the league will take a page from their books and look to replicate this brand of basketball.
NEXT: Evan Mobley Sends A Clear Message About Cavs After Win Over Thunder
