Cavaliers HC Kenny Atkinson Shows “Mad Respect” for the Pacers after Series Loss, Postgame Interview

Cavaliers HC Kenny Atkinson Shows “Mad Respect” for the Pacers after Series Loss, Postgame Interview

. THE PACERS. YOU KNOW THEY WERE THE BETTER TEAM. THEY DESERVED IT. THEY PLAYED GREAT. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO RICK AND THAT GROUP DURING THE CONFERENCE FINALS. AGAIN I WOULD JUST SAY FROM THE CAVALIERS STANDPOINT. I’M GOING TO GO POSITIVE HERE IN THE SENSE THAT I DO FEEL LIKE I DO FEEL LIKE WE GOT BETTER. AND FROM A TEAM ASPECT. AND THEN WE HAD A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS MAKE A STEP. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS WE WE WE DIDN’T GET TO THE LEVEL WE WANTED TO GET TO. SO, YOU KNOW, I’M NOT YOU KNOW, WE’RE NOT WE’RE NOT PLEASED WITH THAT. AND WE’RE NOT CELEBRATING THE SEASON. IF THAT ALL MAKES SENSE. BUT I DO THINK WE MADE STRIDES. I THINK WE WE TOOK A JUMP. AND NOW WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT THIS, THIS LAST PIECE, HOW TO GET OVER THIS HUMP. AND I WAS QUITE HONESTLY EXPECTING MORE, ESPECIALLY COMING OFF THE MIAMI SERIES. YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT WE WERE PLAYING GREAT BASKETBALL. DEFINITELY. IT JUST THE TRUTH THERE WAS WE HAD SOME MISFORTUNE, YOU KNOW, WITH WITH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE INJURIES. SO THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATE. BUT I STILL FELT LIKE WE HAD ENOUGH. SO IT’S IT’S IT’S DISAPPOINTING FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE. SO JUST WANTED TO START OUT WITH THAT. CHRIS. HEY, KENNY. HEY, CHRIS. YOU MENTIONED BEING UNABLE TO REACH THAT LEVEL. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU WERE UNABLE? I THINK THEY PRESENTED A PHYSICAL CHALLENGE THAT THAT THAT’S PROBABLY THE FIRST OFF THE BAT. AND TO THEIR CREDIT. THEY KIND OF DID IT LONGER FOR THEY COULD SUSTAIN LONGER THAN WE WE COULD. SO NOW THAT’S NOT ALL PHYSICAL. CHRIS. I THINK THAT PART OF THAT IS MENTAL, RIGHT? THE MENTAL STRENGTH TO THAT’S PART OF OUR OUR GROWTH. WE OBVIOUSLY GOT TO GET. PHYSICALLY BETTER ARRIVE PHYSICALLY BETTER TO TO COMPETE WITH THE TEAM LIKE THIS THAT PLAYS AT THIS. HIGH INTENSE PACE. AND THEY ARE THEY’RE UP HERE GUYS LIKE LIKE I KNOW I KNOW FROM THE DATA. I KNOW FROM WATCHING FILM THAT THEY’RE THEY’RE UP HERE AND THEY CAN SUSTAIN IT. IT’S I JUST GIVE THEM I GIVE THEM SO MUCH CREDIT FOR BEING ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT, SUSTAIN THAT TYPE OF INTENSITY FOR SO LONG. NOW WE’VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO MATCH IT. AND WE DIDN’T WE WEREN’T, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE’RE BUILT FOR IT. I THINK THE TYPE OF ATHLETE WE HAVE, WE’RE BUILT FOR IT. BUT WE WEREN’T WE WEREN’T READY FOR THAT. AND THEN THE MENTAL MENTAL PART, YOU KNOW, THAT WE GOT TO GET OVER THAT. YOU KNOW, I JUST I JUST FELT LIKE. WE, WE, WE GOT ANOTHER, ANOTHER JUMP TO MAKE WITH KIND OF OUR MENTAL, MENTAL STRENGTH. BUT I LOVE I LOVE OUR TOGETHERNESS, I LOVE OUR LEADERSHIP. I LOVE OUR MATURITY. ALL THAT. SO THOSE WOULD BE THE TWO AREAS LIKE IF YOU, YOU KNOW, KIND OF RIGHT OFF THE BAT, I THINK WE GOT TO GET GOT TO GET BETTER. SO PHYSICALITY AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS HOW DO YOU PHYSICALITY IS NOT THAT’S SO THAT’S LIKE TO ME PHYSICALITY IS LIKE IT’S THERE’S SO MUCH IT’S THE FORCE THING. LIKE YOU BE ABLE TO RUN I MEAN THIS LEAGUE HAS BECOME THIS. IT IS THE PACE IS. ESPECIALLY AGAINST THIS TEAM IS INCREDIBLY HIGH AND IT’S FOR. SO IT’S. THERE’S JUST A LOT OF WORK. I MEAN WE GOT TO WE GOT TO WORK AT IT. RIGHT. I MEAN THERE’S ALL THERE’S OFF SEASON. YOU KNOW PROGRAMS WE SET IN PLACE. I THINK THAT’S PART OF MY STRENGTH. THAT DEVELOPMENT AREA. WE OBVIOUSLY GOT SOME GUYS THAT GOT GOT TO MAKE JUMPS FROM A PHYSICAL STANDPOINT. AND THEN THERE’S A LOT OF MENTAL, YOU KNOW, THERE’S A MENTAL ASPECT TO IT AND THERE’S THERE’S THERE’S I THINK THERE’S CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT AND YOU HELP GUYS ALONG AND YOU GOT TO THAT’S PART OF COACHING, RIGHT? HELP THEM GET OVER THAT. THAT THAT HURDLE. SO WE GOT A LOT OF WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO. THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYING. KIM, IN THIS SERIES, I MEAN FOR YOU WHAT WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU LEARNED THE MOST AS A AS A COACH THAT YOU CAN TAKE INTO THIS OFFSEASON, THAT YOU’RE GOING TO FOCUS ON? YEAH. I THINK I THINK I HAVE TO BREATHE FIRST, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I KIND OF MAKE A SUMMARY BECAUSE I DON’T I DON’T WANT TO COME OUT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW. I DID LEARN KIND OF WHAT I TOLD CHRIS. WE GOT WE GOT JUMPED. WE GOT A WE GOT AREAS WE HAVE TO IMPROVE IN AND WE COULD NOT SUSTAIN, YOU KNOW, FROM A PHYSICAL STANDPOINT. AND THEN FROM A MENTAL STANDPOINT, THEY WERE JUST I THINK THEY WERE STRONGER. AND THAT’S A TEAM. LIKE I SAID THEY’VE THEY’VE GOTTEN OVER THE HUMP. THEY’VE GOTTEN TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS. WE’RE NOT THERE YET. SO YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF REPEAT WE GOT A WE GOT A LOT OF WORK A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THE OFF SEASON. BUT AGAIN, I’M JUST GOING TO SAY IT, I’M, I THINK WE GOT BETTER. YOU KNOW, I REALLY DO I THINK AND I AND I THINK WE HAD PLAYERS THAT MADE MADE JUMPS. BUT NOW THIS IS A DIFFERENT SEASON. PLAYOFFS ARE DIFFERENT. WE GOT TO WE GOT TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I CAN I CAN PROMISE YOU YOU KNOW THERE’S NOTHING THERE’S THERE’S NO BETTER MOTIVATOR THAN A LOSS LIKE THIS. THERE’S NOTHING THERE’S NOTHING THAT MOTIVATES MORE A PLAYER. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE THERE’S THE PAIN YOU LIVE WITH EVERY DAY UNTIL YOU GET BACK HERE IN MAY OR JUNE, YOU LIVE WITH THAT. AND THERE’S NO BETTER MOTIVATOR FOR FOR AN ATHLETE, FOR A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE TO TO KIND OF GET BACK TO WORK, SAY, MAN, I GOT TO GET TO THAT NEXT LEVEL. AND FROM ME, MYSELF ALSO, OUR STAFF LIKE, GEEZ, WE WE GOT ANOTHER JUMP TO MAKE. WE GOT WE GOT TO WE GOT TO FIGURE IT OUT. E.J. KENNY, WHAT ABOUT THIS MATCHUP NEUTRALIZED YOUR OFFENSE AND IN PARTICULAR EVEN LATE IN THE GAME HERE THEY HAD A HARD TIME. YOU GUYS HAD A HARD TIME JUST MAKING THOSE EASY THOSE EASY BUCKETS. YEAH I YOU KNOW I. THEY JUST THEY KIND OF WORE US DOWN. THEY WORE US DOWN. THEY HAVE A PARTICULAR STYLE THEY PLAY. THEY DEFINITELY MAKE YOU PLAY MORE ON ONE ON ONE. THEY DIDN’T. THEY DON’T LET YOU GET INTO YOUR DRIVE KICK, SWING. THEY STAY AT HOME ON DRIVES BECAUSE THEIR ABILITY TO GUARD ONE ON ONE. AND WE’VE SEEN THIS WITH A COUPLE OTHER TEAMS, YOU KNOW ELITE TEAMS. THAT’S KIND OF HOW THEY HOW THEY HOW THEY SCHEME US. SO WE GOT TO KIND OF GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD A LITTLE BIT. AND WHAT, WHAT WHAT WE’RE REALLY STRUGGLE WITH, WITH THE PRESSURE, THE FULL COURT BALL PRESSURE, I FELT LIKE THAT THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF IT. AND WE WE STRUGGLED JUST TO GET INTO OUR STUFF EARLY ENOUGH. SO CREDIT TO THEM. YEAH. BUT I AGREE WITH THAT. I MEAN, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT OUR DEFENSE WAS, YOU KNOW, DID A GOOD JOB. I THOUGHT IT WAS OUR OFFENSE THAT THAT THAT HURT US MORE. SMALL. CAN YOU JUST I MEAN, TONIGHT DONOVAN STRUGGLED SHOOTING IT FROM OUTSIDE. INVADERS FROM OUTSIDE. JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST THE COLLECTIVE KIND OF STRUGGLE SHOOTING IT OUTSIDE. YEAH, I KNOW, I KNOW. AND WE WE REALLY DIDN’T SHOOT IT. WELL, ALL ALL SERIES. BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS HAVE. I KNOW WE’RE WAY BELOW EXPECTED AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO GO. WE’RE GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT KIND OF WHAT I SAID, LOOK AT THE OFFENSE. WHAT WERE THE QUALITY OF SHOTS? I FELT LIKE WE DIDN’T GET ENOUGH CATCH AND SHOOT ONES TONIGHT. I THOUGHT THERE WAS. IT WAS. YOU KNOW, MORE OFF THE DRIBBLE, WHICH OBVIOUSLY LOWER PERCENTAGE OF THOSE GUYS ARE ELITE. AND AND I’D LIKE TO KIND OF SWING IT AND GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR FOR MAKING IT TOUGH ON US. YOU KNOW YOU WHERE WEAR A TEAM DOWN AND SHOTS BECOME A LITTLE HARDER. THEY SHORT YOU KNOW YOU’RE NOT NOT GETTING. KIND OF THE TYPE OF SHOTS YOU WANT AND THE TYPE OF CONDITION YOU WANT. RIGHT. SO CREDIT TO THEM FOR FOR FOR DOING THAT TO US. DAN, CAN YOU MENTIONED NOT CELEBRATING THIS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS BLACK AND WHITE, BUT DO YOU VIEW THIS YEAR AS A WHOLE AS A SUCCESS? I’LL JUST. I THINK, YEAH, IF YOU GET BETTER, YOU KNOW, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE INTERNALLY. I THINK WE ALL IN THAT LOCKER ROOM IN OUR ORGANIZATION FELT LIKE WE GOT BETTER AND WE FELT LIKE WE HAD PLAYERS MAKE A JUMP. BUT. AND I GOT TO BE CAREFUL HERE. BUT, LIKE, IT’S NOT A SUCCESS IN TERMS OF WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL WE HAD YOU KNOW, WE HAD WE HAD A GOAL TO MAKE THAT NEXT JUMP. RIGHT. SO I’M NOT SURE WE CAN SAY THAT. RIGHT. I DO THINK WE CAN SAY WE GOT BETTER AND WE IMPROVED, BUT A SUCCESS WOULD BE YOU’RE GOING TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS. SO YOU CAN’T DEEM IT A SUCCESS. YOU’VE MENTIONED BEFORE THIS GAME NOT INJURIES, NOT HAVING A FACTOR, BUT WITH DARIUS, HOW MUCH WAS HE PLAYING THROUGH? JUST HOW BAD WAS THAT? IT’S HARD FOR ME TO TELL DAN. I MEAN OBVIOUSLY HE WAS HE WAS HOBBLED AND YOU KNOW IN IN THIS THIS IS THIS IS PART OF IT. I’VE BEEN SAYING THIS ALL YEAR. WE HAD TO ARRIVE HERE HEALTHY. IT’S IT’S IT’S IT’S THE YOU KNOW, IT’S THE BIG IT’S THE BIG HURDLE. THEY THEY WERE HEALTHY. I MEAN COMPLETELY HEALTHY I BELIEVE. SO 100% HEALTHY. AND WHEN YOU’RE WORKING ON THE MARGINS, YOU KNOW YOU GOT THREE GUYS OUT THROUGH YOUR TOP SIX OUT. YOU GOT YOUR POINT GUARD OUT FOR THE FIRST. IT’S LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST WISH YOU A WHOLE YOU KNOW. BUT I DON’T THINK THAT’S AN EXCUSE. LIKE LIKE I DON’T WANT TO SAY ALL THAT’S THE REASON BECAUSE THAT’S THAT’S NOT THE REASON. BECAUSE THEY WERE THE BETTER TEAM. BUT. SOMEHOW WE GOT TO ARRIVE HERE NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, INJURY FREE. I MEAN, THAT’S THAT’S THAT’S THE GOAL. WE WORKED HARD. WE WORKED HARD TO DO THAT. AND THERE’S THERE’S BAD LUCK. THERE’S MISFORTUNE. YOU KNOW THEY WEREN’T SOFT TISSUE YOU KNOW INJURIES WHICH WHICH IS SOMEWHAT CONTROLLABLE. RIGHT. SO IT’S A LITTLE LITTLE MISFORTUNE, LITTLE BAD LUCK. BUT YOU KNOW DEFINITELY WE ALL SAW IT. IT WAS WASN’T HIMSELF. YEAH. KENNY, THIS IS GOING TO SOUND LIKE SECOND GUESSING. AND I DON’T MEAN THAT TO BE, BUT JUST GIVEN WHAT YOU’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE LAST TEN MINUTES AND WHAT HAPPENED SINCE, DO YOU THINK THAT SORT OF THE COLLECTIVE TAKING THE FOOT OFF THE GAS AT THE END OF MARCH HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS? AND THEN ALSO WHEN WE’RE TALKING ABOUT BEING ABLE TO MATCH THE PACERS PACE, YOU DIDN’T HAVE ANY PLAYERS AVERAGE MORE THAN 31 MINUTES FOR THE GAMES. AND I KNOW WHY YOU GUYS DID THAT. BUT DID COULD WE SAY THAT THAT THAT HAD THAT PLAYED A ROLE AND MAYBE NOT BEING ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE WAY THEY RUN? I’LL ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION. SO THE MARCH THING, WE DIDN’T TAKE OUR FOOT OFF THE GAS. I THINK WE HAD A HELLACIOUS SCHEDULE AND DIDN’T PLAY WELL. AND THAT THAT I KNOW, LIKE KIND OF THAT WOULD BE KIND OF MY FACT. SO THERE WASN’T YOU KNOW, WE’RE RESTING GUYS FOR FIVE GAMES. YOU KNOW, NONE OF THAT. I WILL SAY WE DEFINITELY HAD A PLAN POST ALL STAR IN TERMS OF AND YOU KIND OF SEE THE MINUTES OF GETTING GUYS MORE GAMES WITH HIGHER MINUTES, YOU KNOW, LEADING UP, UP TO THE PLAYOFFS. NOW SOME OF THAT GETS CUTE, RIGHT? YOU WANT TO YOU WANT TO. YOU’RE UP 20. AND THE PLAN IS TO PLAY DOWN 39 MINUTES. AND YOU KNOW YOU DON’T DO IT. AND SO CAN I PLAY GUYS A YOU KNOW A COUPLE MORE GAMES WITH WITH HIGHER MINUTES. BUT THERE WAS A PLAN IN PLACE I THINK WE EXECUTED IT OKAY. BUT I DO THINK THERE ARE SOME CIRCUMSTANCES AROUND THAT. BUT. LISTEN, THERE’S, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE SOME YOUNG PLAYERS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVAN, IT TAKES TIME TO GET TO THIS, TO GET TO THIS LEVEL, THIS INTENSITY. AND YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A THEY HAVE A VETS SQUAD THAT’S KIND OF KIND OF DONE IT. AND WE JUST HAVE PROBABLY A SMALL GROUP OF GUYS THAT NEED NEED TO TAKE A JUMP. AND THEY WILL. IT’S YOU KNOW, IT DOESN’T LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN LIKE HAPPEN. IT’S A PROCESS. AND YOU SEE EVAN’S GOING TO GET A LITTLE BETTER. DARIUS IS GOING TO GET A LITTLE STRONGER. EVAN’S GOING TO GET A LITTLE STRONGER. THOSE GUYS ARE GOING TO GET BETTER. YOU KNOW BETTER. AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT’S PART OF GETTING OVER THE HUMP. AND THEN QUICKLY. HOW DO YOU THINK WHETHER IT’S THE KNICKS OR CELTICS SOMEHOW SURVIVED THUNDER OR WHATEVER, HOW ARE THESE OTHER TEAMS GOING TO DEAL WITH THE PACERS CASE? I WOULD IMAGINE YOU FEEL PRETTY SPECIAL. I MEAN, THEY THEY BEAT THE KNICKS LAST YEAR THE SAME WAY THEY WARM DOWN. I THINK THE KNICKS GET INJURED. I THINK THERE WERE THERE WERE A FEW. IT’S AND I JUST JUST MAD RESPECT. IT’S IT’S IT’S LIKE A A COLLEGE TEAM. AND I SAY THAT IN A REALLY GOOD WAY. LIKE THEY PRESS FOR THEY PRESS FOR 48 MINUTES AND THEY RUN FASTER THAN ANYBODY IN THE LEAGUE. WE HAVE THE DATA. IT’S I WISH I HAD A GRAPH RIGHT. YOU GOT THE LEAGUE. WE’RE KIND OF UP THERE AND PROBABLY 60 AND THEY’RE THEY’RE UP HERE. SO AND I THINK TO THEIR CREDIT I THINK THEY’VE THEY’VE RECRUITED TO THAT THAT TYPE OF THEIR STYLE OF PLAY. THEY’VE SURROUNDED IT. YOU KNOW THEIR THEIR BEST PLAYER. WITH THAT I BUT I DO THINK WE HAVE A TEAM THAT’S CAPABLE OF DOING THAT TOO. WE JUST GOT TO FIGURE OUT. BUT IF YOU PLAY THE CELTICS IT’S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT THE HEAT. IT’S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF IT’S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GAME. THIS THIS GAME THIS THIS

Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers – Full Game 5 Highlights | May 13, 2025 | 2025 NBA Playoffs

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