{"id":304229,"date":"2025-11-21T00:46:18","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T00:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/304229\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T00:46:18","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T00:46:18","slug":"kenny-atkinsons-premonition-comes-true-in-cavs-114-104-loss-to-houston-rockets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/304229\/","title":{"rendered":"Kenny Atkinson\u2019s premonition comes true in Cavs\u2019 114-104 loss to Houston Rockets"},"content":{"rendered":"

CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2014 Cavs<\/a> coach Kenny Atkinson tried to warn his team. <\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t heed his message. <\/p>\n

Cleveland got blasted by the Houston Rockets, 114-104, on Wednesday night at Rocket Arena. The loss snaps the Cavaliers\u2019 two-game winning streak. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to blame it on missed shots,\u201d Atkinson said following the loss. \u201cI didn\u2019t really feel like we were in the game until that third quarter. The rest of the game they kind of dominated us. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d say they really mucked the game up. They play off shooters and leave their bigs at the rim and you gotta make them pay when they sit in the paint on you. We didn\u2019t really make them pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeing some troubling trends of late \u2014 even in the face of victories \u2014 Atkinson said late Monday night that the Cavs couldn\u2019t bring their \u201cB\u201d game against upper-echelon opponents. <\/p>\n

The Rockets \u2014 now 10-3, winner of five straight and with championship aspirations following the summer acquisition of future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant \u2014 are part of that exclusive group.<\/p>\n

Wednesday wasn\u2019t even Cleveland\u2019s B game. No matter the grade, it simply wasn\u2019t good enough. <\/p>\n

Playing without rotational regulars Darius Garland (toe injury management), Jaylon Tyson (concussion), Sam Merrill (right hand sprain) and Max Strus (foot surgery), the undermanned Cavs allowed Houston to score the first seven points. Four of those came on second-chance opportunities, an area of concern for Atkinson going into the night. <\/p>\n

While Cleveland temporarily settled in, it took just 10 minutes for Houston to create a double-digit advantage \u2014 the kind of hole the Cavs have been digging too frequently the last few weeks. <\/p>\n

By the end of the first quarter, stifling Houston had limited Cleveland to just 19 points and a ghastly 80.4 offensive rating. It\u2019s the second-lowest scoring quarter all season. <\/p>\n

The Cavs finally found their rhythm in the third quarter. During that turnaround period, they limited the league\u2019s top-ranked offense to just 17 points and outscored them by 13. Suddenly, the scrappy Cavs were within four points \u2014 the closest margin since the midway point of the first quarter. <\/p>\n

That turned into just one point after Donovan Mitchell answered an early-quarter Houston bucket with a pair of triples \u2014 the kind that typically deflate lesser foes.<\/p>\n

Not The Rockets. Houston didn\u2019t have a problem. <\/p>\n

It extended the lead to 11 just under the four-minute mark, causing some in the sellout crowd to exit early. <\/p>\n

In all, the Rockets led for more than 45 minutes, by a game-high 22 at one point. Houston was in front for the final 41:51. And the final score doesn\u2019t reflect its dominance. <\/p>\n

Houston All-Star center Alperen Sengun led all scorers with 28 points to go with 11 rebounds and seven assists in 38 forceful minutes. Durant added 20 points. Veteran reserve guard Aaron Holiday chipped in with 18 on 5-of-7 shooting and 3 of 5 from 3-point range. <\/p>\n

The Cavs got 25 points from De\u2019Andre Hunter in a losing effort. Mitchell finished with 21, including 19 in the second half as he started to find more holes in Houston\u2019s smothering defense. The Rockets pressured him with multiple bodies, out toward halfcourt, trying to keep the ball out of his hands. <\/p>\n

\u201cI knew something was coming. I didn\u2019t know to what extent. It\u2019s a sign of respect,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cI mean, obviously they see who I am and the threat that I am and I think that\u2019s the ultimate sign of respect you can get from a coach. It was unique. It was different. I don\u2019t think every team has the personnel and size to do that.<\/p>\n

\u201cTook us a little bit to adjust and then once we got adjusted, we figured it out and that\u2019s the biggest thing. We found a way to continue to just keep doing what we do and made it a game for ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Evan Mobley tallied 18 points and six rebounds. <\/p>\n

Cleveland shot 36 of 81 (44.4%) from the field, 12 of 39 (30.8%) from deep and 20 of 32 (62.5%) from the foul line. Mobley was the biggest culprit at the free-throw stripe, going just 4 of 10. <\/p>\n

\u201cGotta make your free throws,\u201d Atkinson said. \u201cFourth quarter. End of game. It\u2019s tough. It\u2019s such an important part of the game. Especially when you get 32 attempts, you gotta knock them down. We haven\u2019t been good since preseason shooting free throws. We practice them like everybody does. It\u2019ll turn though. It\u2019ll turn. We\u2019re just not making them right now \u2014 and it\u2019s hurting us.”<\/p>\n

With rebounding a point of emphasis pregame for the Cavs, tall and burly Houston outrebounded them, 51-39, including 16-10 on the offensive glass. <\/p>\n

\u201cGot to rebound the ball better,\u201d Atkinson said. \u201cThat\u2019s obviously their strength. We\u2019re not built that way. Just got to focus a little more. We obviously hit the team on it tonight, but they hammered us. I\u2019m a little disappointed. We got some there at the end, but too little, too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

For days, Atkinson could sense this kind of performance coming. His team got away with a substandard effort against Memphis, Milwaukee, Miami, Chicago and other lesser opponents. <\/p>\n

Can\u2019t try to flip the proverbial switch for one half and expect to beat one of the league\u2019s elite. <\/p>\n

Time to raise the standard. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey enforced their identity more than we did, and that\u2019s what this league comes down to,\u201d Atkinson said. \u201cYou have your identity, and you\u2019ve got to go with it. It was the third time they beat us, three in a row. They\u2019ve done a better job. <\/p>\n

\u201cCredit to them. Heck of a team. Contender. Tonight, we couldn\u2019t stand toe to toe with them. Just wasn\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Up next <\/p>\n

The Cavs will continue their homestand on Friday night in an Eastern Conference semifinals rematch against the Indiana Pacers. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. <\/p>\n

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