Kenny Atkinson explains why the Cleveland Cavaliers were embarrassed in Boston

It was a rough night for the Cavaliers after a stellar showing in Detroit 48 hours before. There is one specific detail coach Kenny Atkinson is keen to fix—and believes it can be.

Apr 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson stands on the court in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

To say that in the last 48 hours, fans have seen two different sides to the Cleveland Cavaliers would be an understatement.

From a solid, all-around showing against Detroit on Monday that was arguably the Cavs’ best performance so far, to perhaps their worst 48 hours later, when they lost 125-105 to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

Yet, it started so brightly for Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell made all four of his three-point shots for 12 points in the first quarter, leading the Cavaliers to a 42-40 lead. They started hot. But once the second period began, that hot streak plummeted.

Mitchell went on to make just one of his last eight shots, finishing with 15 points, but for head coach Kenny Atkinson, his concern was elsewhere, and it’s been an issue for the majority of the season so far.

His worry is rebounds and not getting enough possessions. Simply put.

“They absolutely dominated us on the boards,” Atkinson said.

“Even in the second half, we didn't fix it. It was a little better. I don't know what they were in the possession game. I know at halftime, they were plus 12. When a team's getting 12 more possessions than you, especially if they're making their threes, that's tough.”

The Cavs were outrebounded 52-42 by the Celtics, the third time this season they lost in this category. The Celtics were able to score 23 second-chance points, mainly off 18 offensive boards.

A worrying issue for Atkinson, whose team is pulling down 40.4 rebounds a game, but conceding 44.6 a game in their opening five. Yes, the Cavs are short-handed, and what to do in the meantime is being worked on. Is it fixable?

“It's fixable, we can do it,” Atkinson says, almost shrugging the early-season problem off.

“When we lock in, we can do it. We're waiting; we're not being assertive. We're just kind of waiting for the rebound to happen. We're not being proactive. And that's fixable.

“That’s a focus and a mentality. We can do it. We've done it. We've proven we can do it, so we just got to lock back in.”

There were positives. With Sam Merrill out, it presented Jaylon Tyson with a chance to shine in his absence, and he did just that on a night where the Cavs were anything but bright, taking away the first quarter.

In more than 26 minutes, Tyson went 8-for-11 from the floor, had 19 points, pulled down five rebounds and got three steals in a highly productive night, where he led the scoring along with Evan Mobley, who grabbed 11 boards to go with his 19.

Will it be enough for Tyson to see more minutes moving forward? It’s unlikely unless he performs consistently in that manner. But a positive takeaway for Atkinson on an otherwise forgettable night in Boston.