Between October 23 and November 24, Riders have won 17 matches out of 18. Since then? In just three days, they have just lost twice in a row against the Hawks, transformed into the real beast of Kenny Atkinson's men.
Donovan Mitchell ended this defeat with a performance in “Black Friday” mode, that is to say, on sale. We didn't have the right “Spida”: 0/10 to start the game, before ending it with a very ugly 5/23 shooting, 12 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
“It didn’t go his way and he kept trying. We told him to keep shooting”, noted the Cleveland coach. “He’s a great leader. It's incredible. Most guys get frustrated when they don't shoot well. He kept the same behavior. I love that about him. »
It's not just the performance of their leader that was not up to standard for the Cavaliers in Atlanta. The general address did not follow, the bench was less productive than usual. Cleveland's strength, since the start of the season, was to always find a solution. Not there…
“They will not be excellent every night and these are two matches where the substitutes were not very good”notes Kenny Atkinson. “We were dominated and it’s not just the bench, it’s the whole group. We will bounce back. »
Soon three defeats in a row and the loss of first place?
There is no fire in Ohio since the Cavaliers still have a record of 17-3. The rebound will not be easy in the very short term since the next match is the reception of the Celtics, the first team to have beaten Cleveland. In the event of a victory, the reigning champions will inflict a third defeat in a row on the Cavaliers and, above all, take the lead in the Eastern Conference.
These two defeats in a row are a first area of turbulence for Donovan Mitchell's gang which could be forgotten if there is a victory on Sunday, but also get worse in the event of a setback…
“The energy and the atmosphere have not subsided because we play the basketball we want to play,” tempers the rear. “Sometimes things work out and the most important thing, the main message, is to be ourselves. Everyone, from the first to the last player. »
