Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson clarifies his infamous quote vs Knicks: ‘they dominated us’

CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 26: Head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Rocket Arena on October 26, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Kenny Atkinson found himself trending for all the wrong reasons during the Cleveland Cavaliers matchup with the New York Knicks in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

In case you missed it, here’s what Atkinson told reporters after the Cavs were already trailing the series 0-3.

“I think analytically, I think we’ve won the — I said three out of three [games in the series], we’re two out of three in the expected wins, I don’t know if you guys follow that — the expected score. We’ve won two out of three.”

Yeah… Cavs fans weren’t happy about that.

Jokes have followed Atkinson into the current season. Every loss is followed with a sarcastic rendition of ‘analytically, we actually won.’

Atkinson finally had a chance to clear the air before Cleveland’s rematch with the New York Knicks on Saturday night.

“I answered the question of ‘you’re down 3-o, what hope do you guys have?’ and I wasn’t lying, but in no sense was it like ‘oh, we deserve to be winning’; there was zero thought of that,” said Atkinson.

It’s not easy to give an optimistic spin when your team is trailing 0-3 in a series. Atkinson learned that the hard way.

“I think when you look back on it and take the context of the question, I’m not sure that was taken into account, which was a little bit of a lesson for me,” said Atkinson. “I would just say, there was no coach more complimentary of the Knicks and honest about our performance and how they dominated us.”

The Cavs were winning in some key expected margins during the series. Particularly in the first two games, where it felt like Cleveland was taking quality shots but just weren’t making them. All of that might help you sleep at night — but it doesn’t change the end result. Atkinson understands that.

“As coaches, we have to check our process, like, are we getting the right shots?” said Atkinson. “But it kind of doesn’t matter, right? Because there’s more than that. There is the mental toughness and physical toughness. The flow of the game, how aggressive you are, there’s all these other intangibles that go in with that.”