Kenny Atkinson Under Fire Following Cavaliers' Game 1 Collapse vs Knicks

The Cleveland Cavaliers led the New York Knicks by 22 points at one point in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night.

However, the Knicks responded with a stunning 44-11 run, including a 30-8 stretch in which Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson called just one timeout - a decision that was heavily criticized afterward.

Cleveland eventually fell 115-104 in overtime, and Atkinson later attributed the loss to the team becoming stagnant offensively and a bit "unlucky."

"We got a little unlucky … they dominated us in the fourth quarter," Atkinson said.

When asked about his decision not to use more timeouts during New York's run, Atkinson explained that he prefers to save them for late-game situations.

"Yeah, I like to hold my timeouts," he added. "I didn't want to have one timeout at the end of the game. One- or two-point game, I try to hold them."

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"This is asinine. Use your timeouts to stop New York's runs and get someone besides James Harden on Jalen Brunson," one fan wrote.

Another added, "This guy is trash. Rotations are weak. We have some ballers on the bench that can give us a spark, yet he chooses Wade over and over again."

A third person posted, "Don't use timeouts, refuses to challenge plays. What is he good for?"

"So instead he pocketed two timeouts and didn't even use one to rest his players before the final shot of the game. Maybe the worst coached game I've ever witnessed in my life," another fan commented.

Atkinson and the Cavaliers will have a chance to redeem themselves in Game 2 on Thursday night, but the pressure is now firmly on Cleveland after squandering a game it seemingly had under control on the road against the Knicks.

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 7:50 AM.