The Cleveland Cavaliers are still undefeated.
Even so, they have been playing with fire lately.
Kenny Atkinson’s team has had solid starts and has performed even better late in the game.
Nevertheless, they have put themselves against the wall in the third quarter.
That’s why, when asked about an area of improvement for his team, the first-year coach admitted that they needed to bring more energy coming out of the break (via Spencer Davies).
In the #Cavs last two games in Cleveland, they felt their energy coming out of the locker room at half was lacking. Over the last three, the stats support that.
Kenny Atkinson spoke on being “nitpicky” about their third quarters, while Darius Garland & Donovan Mitchell agreed. pic.twitter.com/8nrcNYd3kp
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) November 13, 2024
Atkinson admitted that he wasn’t aware of their third-quarter stats, but great teams are also great in the third quarter, so he wants to see more energy from his players there.
The Cavs are the only undefeated team in the NBA right now.
They’re also the first to reach ten wins and win their first 12 contests of the season.
They have some tough matchups ahead of them, though, as they’ll square off with the Philadelphia 76ers before a rematch with the Chicago Bulls.
Then, they meet the Charlotte Hornets and the second-seeded Boston Celtics.
This team exceeded all expectations early in the season, and it’s nice to see them weather the storm and take care of business down the stretch.
Even so, they’ve made it harder on themselves multiple times with their lack of energy after halftime.
Fortunately, there’s still more than enough time left in the season to correct this and keep developing winning habits for when it matters the most.
NEXT: 2 Key Cavs Players Are Questionable For 76ers Game
