Cavaliers Coach Kenny Atkinson Blasts Refs After Loss to Suns

Here's what Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson had to say after his ejection during Friday night's loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Jan 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson argues a call with referee Brandon Adair (67) during the second against the Oklahoma City Thunder half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped the first game of their road trip, but head coach Kenny Atkinson has taken the attention.

The Cavs lost 126-113 against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, but the coach of the Cavaliers was more upset about the way the game was officiated than how his team performed.

"We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that fouls 26th most in the league,” Atkinson said after the game. “The second free throw we got after a flop. ... Parts of the game seemed circus like. ... Certain characters in this league take liberties and we don't stand up to them."

Atkinson was ejected from the game early on in the fourth quarter after picking up his second technical foul, which was the fourth overall technical for the Cavaliers on Friday night.

“I’m not pleased. I thought the game got out of hand, quite honestly…parts of the game seemed circus-like…if that’s what we want as a league,” Atkinson said postgame.

The loss was the first loss for the Cavaliers since Jan. 19, snapping a season-high five-game win streak for Cleveland. Throughout the winning streak, the Cavaliers have catapulted to the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, which would guarantee them a spot in the NBA Playoffs.

What this loss means for the Cavs

Despite a rocky start to the regular season, the injury-riddled Cavaliers find themselves just two games away from the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Atkinson will likely receive a fine for his postgame remarks. But hopefully they galvanize the Cavaliers. Their coach has their back, and the team needs to quickly revert back to their winning ways in order to not lose ground before the NBA All-Star break in a crowded playoff race.

The Cavaliers have four games remaining on their long, west coast trip. They’ll need to regroup with cooler heads before Sunday night’s matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers.

There’s no denying that tensions are high for the Cavs right now. Before dropping Friday night’s game against the Suns, the Cavs were riding high off of an emotional blowout of the Los Angeles Lakers. During that game, Cavs legend LeBron James had tears in his eyes following a first quarter tribute video.

In the days that followed Cleveland’s win against Los Angeles, plenty of speculation swirled about a potential reunion between James and the Cavaliers this summer. In order for that to become realistic, the Cavs could try and escape the NBA’s second apron by trading De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball. 

But the team needs to ignore all of this trade speculation. Atkinson had their back on Friday night. Now the team needs to respond without Evan Mobley and secure a few big wins out west.