Cavs Coach Kenny Atkinson Gives Bizarre Defense of Timeout Strategy in Game 1 Loss

Here's what Kenny Atkinson said about keeping his timeouts during Cleveland's Game 1 loss against New York.

May 19, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the second quarter of game one of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers completely collapsed in Game 1, blowing a 22-point lead against the New York Knicks.

The Cavs had four timeouts remaining with five minutes in regulation. The New York Knicks had figured things out offensively as All-Star guard Jalen Brunson caught fire from three-point territory. The Knicks put together an 18-1 run before Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson used a timeout. 

The Cavaliers were up by 17 points, and the Knicks cut the lead to five before Atkinson called that first timeout. The Knicks had completely figured out how to catch James Harden in difficult defensive switches against Brunson. The 36-year-old had no answer, and the Cavaliers hopelessly kept giving up big Brunson baskets over Harden without a solution. 

After the game, Atkinson defended the bizarre timeout usage.

"Yeah, I like to hold my timeouts. I didn't want to have one timeout at the end of the game. One or two-point game, I try to hold them,” Atkinson said postgame.

#Cavs Kenny Atkinson was asked about his decision to let things play out in the fourth quarter and not call a timeout down the stretch.

"Yeah, I like to hold my timeouts. I didn't want to have one timeout at the end of the game. One or two-point game, I try to hold them." pic.twitter.com/VDLPW8SPiL

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) May 20, 2026

Sure, it was a one or two point game in the final moments of regulation. But with several minutes to go, Atkinson’s team allowed a barrage of Brunson buckets as Harden struggled.

New York had a week of rest. Through three quarters of Game 1, the Cavaliers were using their momentum against a rusty Knicks team. With a 22-point lead, it felt like the Cavaliers were just a few minutes away from being three wins away from being back in the NBA Finals.

“We got a little unlucky, quite honestly,” Atkinson said. “Brunson obviously took over at the end. We started doubleteaming him and trying to do some things, but I’m super proud of how our group played.” 

Atkinson acknowledged that his team played great basketball through three quarters but got dominated in the fourth quarter. 

The fourth quarter was alarming. It was the type of collapse that could mentally interfere with Cleveland’s ability to get off of the mat in this series like they had to do against the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons. 

The Knicks learned that Harden can’t hang with their prolific scorers, and the Cavs had no adjustments. Offensively, Harden decided to play isolation basketball, but shot 5-of-16 from the field and had six turnovers. Cleveland’s 36-year-old point guard did the Cavaliers no favors, and Atkinson did a disservice to the entire team by not benching him. 

If the Cavaliers can win Game 2 on Thursday, everyone will feel better about what happened on Tuesday night. But Atkinson’s bizarre defense for the fourth quarter collapse will likely be met with eyerolls from Cavs fans everywhere.