The Thunder took a stunning revenge against the Cavaliers, with a 20-point victory and a lead that increased to 42 points! Kenny Atkinson and his players had a very bad evening, totally dominated by the defensive intensity of the Oklahoma City troops.
“They imposed their will in every way”, notes the Cleveland coach. “We knew what to expect, we knew their strength, their identity. They imposed their identity. It was an avalanche and we were never able to respond. »
The Eastern Conference leaders lost 21 balls, stifled by the pressure of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates, like so many other teams before them.
“I felt like there were seven pit bulls on the floor, not five,” compares Kenny Atkinson. “They were scratching and catching balls, the right way. We were blown away by their speed, their athleticism, it's as simple as that. It’s their business, they do it at a lot of training courses. They dominate everywhere. »
The coach therefore does not want to make long speeches about such a defeat, “one of those evenings where nothing works” he summarized. No need for him to overwhelm his players, who came up against a team stronger than them. More important will be the reaction to this heavy setback, expected Saturday evening against Minnesota.
“I will be attentive to how we respond against Wolves. That was my message. I don't think you should get angry after such a game, it's not the right response for a coach.”.
