The Cleveland Cavaliers hit a new low in Saturday’s 117-100 loss to the Houston Rockets.
The fact that the Cavaliers lost doesn’t necessarily cause panic. The Rockets are one of the best teams in the Western Conference and are at a clear disadvantage to Cleveland. How they lost the question.
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The Cavaliers walked out of the gate with a tie, as if just showing up was enough to win the game. That was a red flag for Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, who seemed to know the outcome minutes after the game ended.
“I rarely say this, but I thought the game was over in the first quarter,” Atkinson said after the game. “Their physicality, we weren’t ready for the fight tonight. I don’t know what else to say.”
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Atkinson’s assessment is spot on. The Cavaliers weren’t ready for this game and didn’t bring the energy and effort they needed. This is a team that can’t turn the momentum around without being the aggressor. That said, it’s still surprising to hear the head coach admit it after another disappointing loss.
A lack of preparation and focus reflects poorly on a head coach. While it’s unfair to blame Atkinson entirely for the team’s problems, there’s no denying that the team isn’t playing as hard for him every night as it did last season.
The most frustrating part of Saturday’s game for the Cavaliers is that it comes after a great week. They won two games in a row, convincingly beating the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans, and then played well enough to beat the New York Knicks, but ultimately fell short of that goal due to poor execution late in the game.
“I was inspired after the Knicks game because we were ready to fight,” Atkinson said. “This is not the same team that played the Knicks the other night.”
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The loss brings the Cavaliers’ record to 17-16. Although there are still many games left in the regular season, they have no time to prove that this team can regroup and make a playoff push. Cleveland is currently eighth in the Eastern Conference, eight games behind the Detroit Pistons at the top.