Cleveland Cavaliers All-Access – The Road Back – Chapter 8, ROUND TWO: Indiana

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Access – The Road Back – Chapter 8, ROUND TWO: Indiana

Like we know in this league everything resets. You know, the series is 00 back again, but we know that we’re capable of playing at the highest level now. [Music] I like what I saw from the Cavs in the previous round because not only are they a top tier defensive team, but they have the break glass in case of emergency guy and Donovan Mitchell as he just said, somebody that’s been there, done that, put up big numbers, and Mobly has taken that leap as well as the all defensive player and the defensive player of the year. So, I think the Cavs have what it takes to advance. Penny, was Darius able to get through everything today? Yeah, but still um still no contact. I I I just uh I think it’s just dayto day right now. Just, you know, toes a tough one. You know, there’s pain and all that. But, um the good thing when I we watch him shooting right now, he’s move moving well. you know, just um just no contact yet. Is there any concern he wouldn’t be ready for game one on Sunday? Sure. Sure. I mean um but I’m I’m not going to make a judgment either way. Um but sure, there’s some concern there. I I could see it go either way. Let’s put it. Does that make does that fair? What are your initial impressions of the fast um pace? Um very talented team, well coached um obviously led by Tyrese Pascal. Um they got a bigs that can shoot um got wings. They got Nemhar who’s really and McConnell who our pest defensively. So they’re a talented team, man. And you know this is a series we’re going to be, you know, got to be ready to go from the jump. Um they’re battle tested. they’ve been to the conference finals. I know some of their guys were hurt and whatnot, but it’s a battle tested team. Um, as you saw, you know, in game four, especially being down 20, um, really withstanding that whole run and then coming back and winning. Um, so we got to be prepared. We got to be ready to go. When it comes to your prep, what stands out to you about Indiana? Their pace, um, their kick aheads, how fast they play. Yeah, that’s going to be a interesting challenge compared to last series in Miami. Um, they don’t really play with much pace. They don’t really play fast, so it’s going to be a whole different team. Also, their five out spacing, how well Turner shoots the ball. Um, so that’s going to present a unique challenge for us. play our style of basketball and and do what we do best and um but just get back in transition, load to the ball. Uh just do the same things, the same principles we we’ve been relying on all year and um you know, just get back and and make a good defensive stance. We know it’ll be the Cavs and Pacers in the Eastern Conference semi-final. Game one will be at Rocket Arena here in Cleveland Sunday. Time still to be announced. [Music] [Music] Yeah. Now the second round, baby. The Pacers love to run the floor. Here’s Evan Moldley was presented with his defensive player of the year award 50 games for the first time in 11 years as Moldley steps out and the match up that everyone is keeping tabs on. How does Andrew Nemhard stay with Mitchell? Max able to pick Seakhams [Music] Pocky is a team that was in the conference finals last year, you know. Um, and like it or not, they did beat us, right? They they beat us this year. They won won the series. So, that those are those are two things I I just go kind of back to Miami. I expect a a you know this this series to be um super tough. It’s going to go a lot of games. I think we got to be sharp. We got to be we got to be on our on our toes. Um and they got, you know, they got elite players over there. We we just have the ultimate respect um for that group over there. We know it’s not it’s going to be tough series. when you think about what you want to do differently in in game two now kind of knowing getting a feel for how they play like what what’s the mindset as you head into game two be more physical [Music] truckster would you do the honors I would be honored was a Chuck was a joy to coach I was definitely a joy to coach you were not coachable I was easy to coach Jimmy Lam, Billy Cunningham, Matt Gooas, Rudy Tomjanovich, the 2025 coach of the year from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kenny Atkinson. Yes, indeed. And we congratulate Kenny Atinson on that. [Music] Hey, you know what this comes down to? It comes down to you guys players. Kobe, you put an amazing team together. We’re just um just thankful, man. Thankful uh to be a part of this group. Thankful for your sacrifices. Um but it it starts with the players you have. It’s it’s 99% of this. I really believe that. So, um and staff, you know, same thing. selfless staff, no egos, no agenda. So it’s throughout the organization. [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. and four. So they’ve been here before. That may hit him physical. Unleashed. Just stops at a time to spin the fake. Offensive brilliance over me. Offensive rebound. Wade. Mitchell. Extra [Music] feed. Unreal. Mitchell against him. Hard for that first step. [Music] Initially by Allen and there’s Mitchell taking contact. [Music] [Applause] Donovan Mitchell taking their breath away here in Cleveland. First thing I want to ask is Donovan going out there and he’s cramping at the end of the game. See that type of effort from a teammate and what he’s willing to give to the game and what to do in this type of situation. Just what does that mean to you as a team? Uh, it just means that I got to try harder as well. You can’t let one guy, especially your leader, go into something alone like that and give it his all. It makes it pushes everybody on the bench to try their hardest and try to replicate that. I know this is a tough one to swallow right now, but Kenny said that he thought you guys outplayed him and you had more force than them for most of the game. Like, do you agree with that sentiment? Can you bring that into Indie? Yeah, I completely agree. I feel like we outplayed them for the majority of the game and then towards the end we had our mental lapses but we found a system that works. We found a style of play for us that is able to win against a team like that. So now it’s just will we be able to replicate it in Indie like you said. [Music] Cavs learned a lot from game two and I think they’re going to make the appropriate adjustments And over the last 24- 48 hours, do you use the term must-win game? Do you view this as a must-win game? I don’t use that term. Um, but I’m the term I’m using is is um, you know, lean into our identity, who we are, who we’ve been all year. Um, just that’s that’s the key to the rest of the series. Sure. If uh Darius obviously has missed four in a row and you’ve used Sam and then you use Tai. If Darius can’t go tonight, where do you think you’d go there? To be determined. [Music] Kenny, in the last four games that Darius hasn’t played, what do you think that you guys have missed the most about him on the floor? Uh, well, you always miss an all-star. you know, he uh he’s our point guard, you know, and um speed obviously shooting he helps with that. Um he gets obviously can create an advantage quite quite on his own. Um yeah, so I mean Dan, you know him. I mean it’s it’s it’s all over the place and leadership, you know, he’s a smart smart player. Get him out of the game because they know how dangerous he can be off the edge. Garland connects on a three bit of the opening quarter. Garland dancing, dishing, and Moy the slam. I already knew that he was delivering that to DeAndre Hunter. Garland. We’ll see how he navigates this second quarter with those three personals. Garland navigated well there. Kenny, over the last couple of days, what have you sensed within the group that lets you know that that you’ve moved past what happened at the end of game two? I mean, we’ve been through I mean, when you go through an 82 games and and you um you bounce back, you um you have your trials and tribulations and you have your good streaks and and bad streaks. So, um I trust our our leadership. Um I tr you know, trust the team. Um, trust again, trust who we’ve been all year. Just going to double down on that. Um, I think that’s how the players feel. An 11 nothing punch from Cleveland out of the gate. Texas. I’m sure they play pick up. They fouled each other much harder than that. Hallebertton. Beautiful dish. And then Moy on the rejection. Able to alter that attempt from Seiakum. Mitchell. A three is good. In the first two games playing without Darius Gar. Here’s Mitchell spinning into the paint, exploding, and finishing. How about that move from [Music] F, can you take us through the last couple days in terms of how bad the ankle was and when you started to know that you you might be able to do this? Yeah. Um, first day, um, couldn’t really put pressure on it at all. Um first day was in a boot and then uh from there it progressed uh could put pressure on the second day. Um was doing as much treatment rehab as I can and uh next day could put like real pressure on it and uh from there just uh played it by ear. We got on like treadmill on the water um see how I could push off and stuff like that. And um yeah, the next few days it got better, gradually better, and um now it’s it’s pretty good, I would say. And then to go from all that though to the not only the numbers you put up, but like sort of the tangible impact that you made just with your presence. Were you surprised at all with how well you were able to play and move and impact the game just given how your ankle felt? Moy gets a clean look and drills it from three to end the 10 by far and away a careerhigh in attempts. Previously it was at about 1.3 as Moy finishes through the contact on that possession and maybe he ran into one of the pacer defenders on his way to the basket. Mobly strong that’s where he does his best work when he’s playing getting downhill. Moy gets delivering in game three as Moy soarses for the rejection. Not really. Um, I knew if I was going to come out there and play, I’m going to have to be able to uh do certain things and I felt pretty comfortable uh especially uh yesterday uh and then shoot around today. Felt good as well. So, um I was pretty confident coming out here and um just came out here and played my game. Can you speak to how critical it was that control? How do you respond? That’s not the end of the world. And we let one slip away at [Music] home. up for [Music] me. Couldn’t let it happen again. He just trying to be [Music] aggressive and counter [Music] How would you characterize the impact that Max has had in this series so far? I mean, shoot. Yeah. 27 and seven. Like, he does it all. Um, did a phenomenal job on on Tyrese and making it tough on him. Um, sprinting for rebounds, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, picking up full court. I told him at one point I was like, “Man, I’m a little a little windy.” He was like, “No, that like you know what I’m saying?” Like that’s just who he is, man. And I I go to war uh with a guy like that. And you know, you see on a nightto-ight basis and people always say like, you know, what is his biggest attribute? You know, what’s his best attribute? He’s a winner. He’s a competitor. He’s a guy you want on your team and a guy you want to go to war with. [Applause] Huh? You got to find a window though. And then we’ve talked about force and that I think is kind of what you’re getting at with the first half wasn’t there. Why did you think you guys didn’t have that tonight? They dominated with their force. They were they raised their game to another level and we we didn’t match it. We we you know we talked about it. We knew it was coming. Um I don’t know. Um you try to prepare for these things. You try to prepare your guys mentally, but um for whatever reason they they like I said, they were at another level. their force was um um greater in every sense every there wasn’t like well this aspect or rebound I thought it was rebounding um you know physicality we’re running our offense at at half court you know they had us they had us pushed out couldn’t get to our spots um it was really kind of physical you know physical domination what was the message going into halftime obviously it’s a shell shocking feeling listen you you you know I I I try to turn positive. Let’s, you know, pride, you know, um, compete, um, composure, cuz I didn’t want it, we didn’t want it to be about the referees, you know, it’s it’s not about that. Um, you know, so wanted our guys to keep our composure, compete with class, right? Um, and then, you know, stay together. That was basically the message. [Music] Uh it can’t just be 82 games. We have to figure out this next 16. We have to figure out how to get over the hump. Um but this group has shown they can play some of the best basketball in the world. It’s how do we do it on the highest stage and continue to keep pushing uh to get over that hump. Um, I think there’s a a mental toughness that you have to get through going through these these failures in the [Music] playoffs. These are the experiences that you have to go through to get to that next level. Um, and it it happens. I mean, this is where we’re going to get better and this is where we’re going to lean into. But we have to go through these experiences as tough as they are. Um, fail quick and and get up. lick our wounds and and and move [Music] forward. This is where we want to live, right? With the expectation of championship. And when we fall short of that, everyone’s upset. I want to live in that space. I don’t want to live in the space where we were, right, when it was 19 wins, 19 wins, 22 wins. Like, I I I love the trajectory that we’re on. That’s why I love this this foundation. Um, and we’re going to keep pursuing that championship. we had a lot of individuals make a step. So, I I just want to make that clear. Um, but I do think we made strides. I think we we took a jump. Um, and now we got to figure out this this last piece, how to get over this hump. Um, since this ended abruptly and you guys probably weren’t expecting to be in this position right now, for you as a leader of this team, as as you and the guys head out of this building into the offseason, is there something specifically you want each guy to take with them? The embarrassment. I hope we all feel it, and I think we do. like 64 win season. We were slated to be up here. We lost 4-1. We were the favorite. We’re in the one seed. It’s It’s not like we were eight seed trying to be the one seed. Like, we should feel that. You know what I mean? And that’s what I said to the guys in the locker room. Feel this. Embrace it. You know, like this is this is part of it. You can’t don’t run from this one. Not to say we aren’t. We will. Like, yeah, it’s going to be a long it’s going to be a loud summer for like it’s going to be there going be a lot of voices about what the calves are, what the calves should. It’s going to be a loud summer. I’ve been through a few of those. You know what I’m saying? So, use it as fuel because, you know, it’s the only thing you can do. Show up to work every day, show up to the gym, and keep keep going. Keep going. Um, and I have no doubt everybody will because everybody’s, you know, we’re a collective group. We’re we’re connected group. We’re a group that really wants it. And I have no doubt that will use us.

Get an inside, behind-the-scenes look at the Cavaliers second round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, including sights and sounds from Kenny Atkinson winning Coach of the Year and Koby Altman’s media availability.