Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 43-point performance and the team’s struggles on the boards and at the free-throw line proved decisive in Monday’s 117-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“We tried to throw the kitchen sink at him, tried everything, blitz, reds, switches, played a couple possessions of zone, tried to mix it up, but we never really found a solution,” Atkinson said after Gilgeous-Alexander scored a season-high 43 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 32.6 seconds remaining.
“He was, you know, obviously the difference-maker,” Atkinson added. Gilgeous-Alexander shot 14-of-35 from the field and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line in 39 minutes.
Atkinson also identified rebounding as an area Cleveland must address. Oklahoma City collected 13 offensive rebounds and scored 22 second-chance points, while the Cavaliers struggled to finish defensive possessions.
“We got to figure it out,” Atkinson said. “You got to get more shots than the other team. That’s a big part of the NBA now. So rebounding is a big part of it.”
The Cavaliers went 14-of-24 at the free-throw line, leaving 10 points at the stripe. Atkinson called the shooting a reason for the defeat.
“Yeah, I don’t know, keep working on your free throws,” he said. “So you leave 10 points on the board like that. Yeah, tough.”
Atkinson praised rookie Meleek Thomas, who made his first NBA start and scored 17 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He said the rookie had earned enough trust to remain on the floor late in the game.
“For a rookie, I mean, he’s been really good,” Atkinson said. “Obviously trust him enough to throw him in at the end of the game, too. Guy’s going to be a heck of a player.”
The coach also discussed Mario Hezonja’s contribution, praising his passing and ability to move the ball quickly. He acknowledged that deciding whether to close with Hezonja was a close call.
“We went back and forth,” Atkinson said. “You guys can definitely second-guess me on that one. I get it. It was really a 50/50 proposition.”
Hezonja scored 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out three assists in 27 minutes. Atkinson also said the Cavaliers wanted to test him defensively against Gilgeous-Alexander, despite the difficulty of guarding the Oklahoma City star.
“He’s got great skill. He can pass, shoot, pass and dribble,” Atkinson said of Hezonja. “I’m just so positive about his trajectory right now.”
Despite the loss, Atkinson said he liked Cleveland’s roster and pointed to the improved ball movement after halftime. Donovan Mitchell finished with 17 points and 11 assists, while Evan Mobley added 16 points.
“I like our team,” Atkinson said. “I thought first half we didn’t move it great, and then we started to move it, started to get in the paint and kick and play some great basketball.”
The Cavaliers visit Oklahoma City again on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
