Kenny Atkinson Has a Clear Message For The Cavs After Going 0-3 Down in ECF

Kenny Atkinson and the Cleveland Cavaliers are hanging on by a thread after their loss in Game 3.

Kenny Atkinson Has a Clear Message For The Cavs After Going 0-3 Down in ECF

Kenny Atkinson (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the brink of being swept in the Eastern Conference Finals after a 121-108 loss to the New York Knicks.
  • Head coach Kenny Atkinson emphasized the need for the team to focus on winning one game at a time.
  • The Knicks have extended their playoff winning streak to ten games, marking the longest in franchise history.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, led by head coach Kenny Atkinson, are just one loss away from getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks. It was another disappointing performance by the Cavs, despite being down 2-0 and playing at home.

The Cavs were chasing the game from tip-off as they have no answers for the Knicks in this series. In the end, they suffered a 121-108 defeat at the Rocket Arena. The win extended the Knicks’ winning streak to ten games, which is the longest playoff winning streak in franchise history. They have become the tenth team in NBA history to do so.

After the game, Atkinson revealed that his message to the team would be to take it one game at a time.

Get one. Get one and then we’ll go from there.

It was another tough loss for Kenny Atkinson, who has faced severe criticism after Game 1. The Cavs’ head coach made some poor decisions, which led to the Cavs blowing a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter. It was labeled by many as one of the biggest choke jobs in NBA history.

The Cavs have struggled to show any signs of life since Game 1. They were not able to handle the Knicks’ offense, as the Knicks shot 56% from the field and nearly 40% from beyond the arc.

If the Cavs do end up getting clean-swept, it will be a disappointing end to their 2025-26 campaign. Atkinson’s job will be at risk for his questionable decisions in this series.

The club tried to make a statement that they are going all in for the championship after trading for James Harden at the trade deadline this year. While they did make it to the Eastern Conference Finals after eight years, the Cavs front office will not be happy with how things have panned out in this series.

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Kenny Atkinson believes the team is still together

It is never easy being 3-0 down in a series, especially if it is a Conference Final. The Cavs’ top two players – Donovan Mitchell and James Harden have not made any significant impact in the series as they have struggled to generate consistent offense from the perimeter.

Donovan Mitchell and head coach Kenny Atkinson
Donovan Mitchell and head coach Kenny Atkinson (Image via Basket News/X)

However, despite being down 3-0, Atkinson believes that the team is still together.

This is a tough one, right…Nobody is hanging their head, there’s no one giving speeches or anything. We’re still a together group that believes in each other.

Kenny Atkinson in his post match press conference

Atkinson and the Cavs face a mammoth task ahead of them. No team in NBA history has ever come back to win from 3-0. However, the Cavs will look to salvage some pride in Game 4 in front of their home crowd.

No one is playing better basketball than the New York Knicks

The Knicks are on the verge of recording back-to-back clean sweeps. It feels like a long time since they last lost a game. Since going down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, the Knicks have been unstoppable and have won ten out of their last ten matches.

Four-time champion Draymond Green joined the crew on Inside the NBA and went on to say that the Knicks are the best team in the NBA at the moment.

There’s no one playing better than the New York Knicks. They have been consistently good on both sides of the basketball. They are really connecting the game. They are using their defense to fuel their offense.

Draymond Green on Inside The NBA

The Knicks are just one win away from playing in the NBA Finals after 27 years. They are well on course to lift their first championship since 1973. But first, they will need to close out the series against the Cavs.

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