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Cavs exorcise demons vs. Celtics, answering coach Kenny Atkinson's questions | Ulrich
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- Cavs exorcise demons vs. Celtics, answering coach Kenny Atkinson's questions | Ulrich
CLEVELAND — Kenny Atkinson questioned whether the Cavaliers were dipping after back-to-back losses to the Atlanta Hawks to the point where the coach even told his daughter, "We could lose 15 in a row."
Although the comment had a tongue-in-cheek feel, Atkinson sincerely didn't know exactly how the Cavs would respond to falling in consecutive games last week.
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The Cavs began the Atkinson era 15-0 and didn't lose this season until Nov. 19, when they suffered a three-point setback at the Boston Celtics . Two wins followed. Then losses to the Hawks ensued.
All of those outcomes combined to set up a fascinating test for the Cavs . They passed it by rallying in a dramatic fourth quarter for a 115-111 victory over the defending NBA champion Celtics on Sunday night.
Consequently, the 18-3 Cavs checked several boxes:
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They exorcised demons against their primary playoff nemesis. The Celtics (16-4) eliminated the Cavs from the Eastern Conference semifinals in May with a 4-1 series win and then took the first rematch 120-117 last month, handing Cleveland its first loss under Atkinson. The teams will meet twice more this regular season, Feb. 4 in Cleveland and Feb. 28 in Boston.
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They showed their new head coach they're a resilient team capable of answering the bell amid adversity. Point guard Darius Garland said after the game he's "no punk." As a whole, the Cavs aren't punks, either. Let's keep in mind there is an important distinction between being a punk and getting punked. Every NBA team gets punked at some point in a long season. The Cavs were just punked by the Hawks before proving they're willing to fight. Punks don't bounce back from being punked. Get it?
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They addressed the recent defensive slippage Atkinson has been hell-bent on eradicating. He sought to discover whether the Cavs could grind out a win when their shooting struggled and they were forced to lean on defense. A stretch of the third quarter aside, they increased their physicality at the point of attack and held the Celtics in check. Boston entered the showdown second in the NBA in points per game (121.2) but scored 111. The defensive effort gave the Cavs an opportunity to come back after they trailed by 12 points entering the fourth quarter.
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts in the second quarter against the Boston Celtics, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cleveland.
"That was kind of my question mark a little bit with this team after those two losses to Atlanta, and it looked like we were down and out that third quarter," Atkinson said. "[The Celtics] were rolling. The crowd was kind of down. We're all kind of down, [but] I felt like our defense kept us afloat."
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More Cavs vs. Celtics: Cleveland rebounds from back-to-back losses with a wild win
Of course, there are caveats.
It's the regular season, not the playoffs.
The Celtics were missing two stars, forward Jaylen Brown (non-Covid-19 illness) and guard Derrick White (sprained right foot), and the Cavs were still without starting small forward Max Strus (sprained right ankle) in addition to backup forward Dean Wade (sprained left ankle).
The Cavs needed a Hail Mary inbounds pass between forwards Evan Mobley and Georges Niang to be completed with 5.7 seconds left to maintain the edge in their strategic foul shooting contest against the Celtics down the stretch.
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"That was garbage," Atkinson said.
And the Cavs benefited from a lane violation on Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard as he intentionally missed the second of two foul shots with 5 seconds remaining.
Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) reacts after missing a free throw late in the fourth quarter against the Cavaliers, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cleveland.
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Donovan Mitchell scores 20 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter as Cleveland Cavs rally vs. defending champion Boston Celtics
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell celebrates his fourth-quarter 3-pointer against the Boston Celtics, Dec. 1, 2024, in Cleveland.
Five-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell then sealed the victory by making two free throws with 4.3 seconds left. He took control in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 of his game-high 35 points and making every shot (six field goals, including four 3-pointers, and four free throws, all in the final 21.8 seconds). He finished 12-of-21 shooting from the field (6-of-11 on 3-pointers).
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Mitchell scored 30 points on 10-of-24 shooting from the floor (4-of-14 on 3-pointers) Wednesday in a 135-124 loss to the Hawks before yielding a clunker Friday in Atlanta. He scored 12 points on 5-of-23 shooting from the field (2-of-10 on 3s) as the Cavs fell 117-101.
Some of the funk could still be detected against the Celtics. Mitchell missed two free throws with 0.3 seconds left before halftime. In the fourth quarter, a switch flipped.
"He was pretty bad for the previous seven quarters of basketball," Cavs backup point guard Ty Jerome said, "and then you just see something shift in his face."
Donovan Mitchell passes World B. Free for second place among Cavs players with 30-plus point games. LeBron James is first with 324
In many ways, the Cavs go as Mitchell goes, and something shifted in them coming off consecutive losses to the sub-.500 Hawks.
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Mitchell and the Cavs proved in crunch time they can counter the Celtics. He pointed out Cleveland didn't respond well enough this past spring during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals after Boston started the second half on a 14-0 run en route to a 106-93 win. He views the Cavaliers ' response in the fourth quarter Sunday as a sign of growth.
The Cavs will certainly need maturity and mental toughness to win a championship, a goal Mitchell reiterated after he passed World B. Free for the second spot on the franchise's list of players with 30-plus point games (Mitchell now has 59 on his Cleveland resume).
The playoffs are more than four months away, and Atkinson is still learning his new team. For now, he can tell his daughter the dreaded 15-game losing streak has been averted.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs prove resilience to coach Kenny Atkinson by beating Celtics
