Kenny Atkinson had read the predictions before the Cleveland Cavaliers arrived at Madison Square Garden for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. He knew which way the conversation had gone.
Asked Tuesday whether being cast as an underdog against the Knicks could become a rallying point, Atkinson didn’t bother pretending he’d missed the coverage.
“Well, I read all your guys’ stuff,” he said.
That was the closest Cleveland’s head coach came to pushing back. Atkinson didn’t sound offended. He didn’t reach for disrespect. He understood why the Knicks entered Tuesday night with the edge in public opinion. They’d been waiting. Cleveland had just escaped a seven-game series against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. The Knicks had the rest advantage, the Garden and the momentum.
“I get it,” Atkinson said. “I don’t feel disrespected, right? I think I get it. They’re playing great basketball. Massive rest advantage. We get that. So it’s not like I’m mad or anything. I get it. But like I said, we have to find a way to halt their momentum. I mean they have great momentum coming into this series and we have to find a way.”
Atkinson’s pregame message was straightforward: accept the circumstances, don’t overcomplicate them, then meet the Knicks with enough force to interrupt their rhythm.
The Cavaliers didn’t have time for a full reset after their last series. Atkinson said the staff kept preparation simple because of the quick turnaround and the emotional drain of seven games. Cleveland even gave its players a day off after what he estimated had been 28 straight days without one, then held its Knicks scout Tuesday morning.
“The most important thing is these guys are fresh and fresh physically and fresh mentally,” Atkinson said. “We know they have a massive rest advantage. We know they’re massively favored in the series, but I’d say from our perspective it’s like we got to try to halt their momentum and it starts tonight.”
He circled the opening stretch as essential. The first five or six minutes, Atkinson said, could help Cleveland keep the Knicks from seizing the night early. His rotation could reflect that urgency. Atkinson called Game 1 a “fresh start” and said the Cavaliers could play 10 players if the game demands it.
“I like, especially beginning this series, giving guys opportunities,” he said. “You never know what you will find.”
The Knicks’ physicality also sat high on Cleveland’s list of concerns. Atkinson said it won’t resemble Detroit or Toronto in every way, but it will test the Cavaliers in the half court, where the Knicks’ size and strength can grind on possessions.
“They got big strong guys and they’re super physical,” Atkinson said. “Good thing is we have two series where we’re dealing with that for 48 minutes basically. But we’re not coming in here saying, oh this is the Knicks. They’re a very physical team, definitely saw that on film.”
Cleveland’s response will require patience without passivity. Atkinson wants the Cavaliers attacking the paint without giving away possessions against a defense that crowds driving lanes. He said kick-outs will be there if they move into passing windows and make the right decisions.
Defensively, Evan Mobley’s work against Karl-Anthony Towns will be central, though Atkinson stressed that Cleveland will need more than one body for that assignment. Against Jalen Brunson, the Cavaliers may use pieces of the full-court pressure they applied against Cade Cunningham, but Atkinson said they’ll have to be more selective.
The Knicks are favored.
Atkinson knows it. He isn’t bothered by it.
Now the Cavaliers get to answer.
