CLEVELAND — Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson is not happy, the result of three plays on the court from their Game 1 loss to the Indiana Pacers. And so before Game 2, Atkinson held court with local and national reporters to call for a league-wide discussion on what should be considered excessive physicality in the playoffs.
All-Star forward Evan Mobley and forward De’Andre Hunter were both injured during physical plays in the fourth quarter of Game 1. Mobley ended up with a sprained ankle and Hunter dislocated his thumb, leaving both questionable for Game 2. Both, along with All-Star guard Darius Garland, were later ruled out for Game 2.
Mobley landed on Myles Turner’s foot after Turner didn’t allow space for Mobley to land after a shot attempt. Hunter was hit hard going to the basket. Neither play was called a foul.
Atkinson first detailed these concerns at the team’s practice facility on Monday, May 5, but he then doubled-down during a seven-minute rant at Rocket Arena prior to Game 2, discussing not only the three specific calls from Game 1 but also how the NBA views playoff basketball.
He also added a third play that he viewed as excessive, a Jarrett Allen dunk in which the Cavs center took plenty of contact to the chest, which sent him to the ground. A foul wasn’t called on that play, either, and Andrew Nembhard then drained a 3 at the other end.
Atkinson again went out of his way to make it clear that he isn’t saying the Pacers did anything dirty. But he felt the plays were excessive in terms of physicality to not warrant a foul call, even if the playoffs are often viewed as allowing more contact. He also called for a league-wide clarification on what should be considered acceptable.
Below is Atkinson’s uninterrupted, impassioned plea.
Kenny Atkinson upset with foul calls after Evan Mobley, De’Andre Hunter injuries
“Just want to be real clear on my opinion of this,” Atkinson started. “And like I said, Indiana, they were more aggressive. They definitely were more forceful. But I do think there were three calls we questioned to the league, and I’m just going to try to simplify this. In my opinion, all three plays were excessive in nature and whatever. We could all kind of debate that, what that means. Now, let me be clear. In no way am I saying the intent by Indiana was to injure or hurt, none of that. That’s not who Rick is. That’s not who that team is. But I will say, and this is a little bit like big picture, again, my opinion, we have to decide, the league, what that line is, what that excessive line is.
“Because tonight if the league, the people out there watching TNT, all of it — and there’s such a push in this league to — we want guys playing, right? We want healthy guys. There’s a real push by the league, real energy to make sure everybody’s playing. I believe we have to have the same energy in terms of keeping guys healthy in the playoffs. Does that make sense? So if that excessive — let me finish — so with that excessive line, and we got two guys questionable, there were two guys hurt during the game and now questionable, I have a problem with that, quite honestly. And I saw the two minute report and if they are legal plays, and I know some were deemed fouls, right? But we really have to take a look, and I’m part of this, right? I’m a stakeholder in this league, right? It’s not just a referees or Adam or the NBA, it is all of us as stakeholders in this league.
“And what I want to make sure is that we have our best players playing in the playoffs. And it bothers me that we have a Defensive Player of the Year, All-Star, and a great player in De’Andre Hunter that are questionable for this game because in my opinion, all three of those plays were excessive. Now, the NBA doesn’t agree with me and that’s fine, but I would say we need to have a real discussion with it. And like I said, there’s a lot of moving parts. There’s the competition committee, there’s ways to get this done. But the De’Andre Hunter foul, it’s inconceivable to me — inconceivable — that a guy can go for a layup like that, have the ball in his hands, OK, Mathurin makes a good play on the ball, but absolutely drills him, obliterates his body, goes down, there’s an injury. Now you say, well, a guy can get injured in any play 100%.
“But if you’re going to tell me that does not increase the chances of a guy getting hurt, then maybe I’m off. The Evan Mobley turned ankle, that the guy comes under him when he’s clearly square, has a chance to contest, this, and turns at the last second and the guy comes down on his foot. So was it intentional? No. Are they dirty plays? I’m not saying that. What I’m saying is, just like they want our players playing more games and all that. We also have to ensure that our players are playing in the playoffs. So whatever competition committee, NBA, all us stakeholders in the league, we have to get on a whiteboard and just draw that line, what excessive is and what’s over excessive. And to me, and this is an opinion, because it’ll be a great discussion to all of you, this is my opinion, it was over the line in terms of excessive play. And to me as a stakeholder in the league, to me, I know there’s this rhetoric going around the league about, oh man, that’s playoff basketball. To me, that’s not playoff basketball.
“That’s not why I watched it. That’s not what I grew up watching. I grew up watching LeBron, clean chase down block from behind, Steph dribbling around and shooting threes and making great dribble moves and laying it up. Charles Barkley hitting a guy, offensive rebound. That to me is playoff basketball. Julius Erving, scoop, shot, reverse, that’s playoff basketball. So this rhetoric that’s going around like, oh man, we need this for our — I disagree. And we could probably get 10 of us in a room and we’d all have our opinions on it. So I just wanted to make that clear. And like I said, it bothers me. It bothers me as a fan of the game, as a stakeholder in this league that we have to find that line. What is passed excessive and then what are the sanctions when it goes on that, even if it’s not in malice or bad intention, because we need our best players to play in these great playoffs we have. So just wanted to get that off my chest.”
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle discuss playoff series, physicality
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was briefed on what Atkinson said and responded a few minutes later.
“Yeah, he’s protecting his players and that’s a big part of the coach’s job,” Carlisle said. “There are so many events in an NBA game, they turned in three plays to the league. When you turn in plays, the other team has to be notified of that. So we were notified. They turned in three plays.
“I mean, I don’t want to tell you the number of plays we turned in during our Milwaukee series and we won four out of five games. And so there are so many things in a heated playoff series that you disagree with. The play with Allen, that was a missed call, clearly. The play with Mathurin was challenged and the challenge was deemed unsuccessful. Nobody wants players hurt.
“Three years ago, we finished a 25-win season and at exit meetings talked to the players about wanting to build this thing so that we can compete at the highest level and compete against the best. And so if guys are missing games and are not 100 percent, I mean that disappoints the hell out of us. I mean, you don’t get into this wanting it to be easier or perceived as easier. Even if all three of those guys don’t play, it’s not going to be easier.
“So I understand where he’s coming from completely. I messaged him last night, congratulate him on being Coach of the Year. I mean, what an amazing job he’s done. And so, yeah. I’m sure everybody’s very sensitized right now to everything. And this is an intense game and a very meaningful one.”
