Kenny Atkinson's bold decision keeps Cavs undefeated in win over Bulls

11/12/2024 11:32 AM

As the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls game dragged on, one thing was clear: the Cavs were looking tired. This matchup versus Chicago was Cleveland’s twelfth game of the year, the most by any NBA team. Overall, the Cavs had already played three back-to-backs, more or less making their schedule the heaviest for any team less than 15 games into the year. Early-season fatigue would take its toll on any team. However, since Cleveland was the NBA’s only undefeated team, there was added pressure to remain unblemished.

It became clear that fatigue was kicking in, especially when the Cavs were down by nine points late in the third quarter, so head coach Kenny Atkinson had to dig deep into his bag to find a solution. Atkinson found something Cleveland has leaned on all season long: strength in numbers. Except this time, there would be a new, unique twist to one of the Cavs’ greatest strengths.

Kenny Atkinson’s bold decision to beat the Bulls keeps the Cavs undefeated

Around the four-minute mark of the third quarter, Atkinson went away from Cleveland’s star-studded Core Four. Mind you, this isn’t an instance of Atkinson sending a message and benching his stars. Instead, the Cavs were in a slugfest with the Bulls, and Atkinson was looking for anything that could get them ahead of Chicago. That’s when Atkinson dug deep and decided to try something different: an all-bench lineup.

Atkinson rolled with a lineup that featured Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill, Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Dean Wade. That group provided the spark the Cavs needed, erasing that nine-point deficit in less than two minutes. It finished the quarter on an energetic 19-9 surge, flipping the game and giving Cleveland a three-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

"Grit. Determination. Fortitude. It took everybody," Donovan Mitchell said. "Gotta give credit to the bench. They came in and really changed the game. You could tell we were a little mentally fatigued. We were definitely going through it. That lineup really saved the day for us. Shout out to them."

LeVert, Niang, and Jerome all chipped in with 12 apiece off the bench as Cleveland's second unit outscored Chicago's 39-16. But the trio’s spark, alongside Wade and Merrill, saved the Cavs and kept the team undefeated.

"We have a really deep team," Jerome said. "Sometimes our starters are tired. Our job coming off the bench is to bring energy when it's needed. Then there are going to be other games where they carry us. We're all together. We're all sticking together through everything. It's really fun to be a part of it."

Cleveland’s teamwork makes the dream work

Atkinson has been willing to adjust on the fly throughout this streak. One game ago, he turned to a small-ball lineup against the Brooklyn Nets in crunch time. His ability to push the right buttons at precisely the right time has kept the Cavs rolling despite some closely contested games. It’s led to everyone being able to take credit for this perfect start. More importantly, it’s led to Cleveland playing much more dynamic basketball.

"The Bulls played great," Atkinson said. "We could not stop them in the first half. I think in the second half, we had to flip it and try some different things and we had to throw everything at the wall. We played 2-3 zone, we switched everything. We really tried to give them different looks. They're really fast and spread you out with the 5-out stuff. But our bench was phenomenal. What a hack of a team win."

Sometimes, trying the unexpected can be the recipe for success. In Cleveland’s undefeated start to the year, Atkinson trying new things has led to this perfect start. One of those new, somewhat unconventional things is leaning on the Cavs’ reserves when games are tight. Against the Bulls, it led to a win. Don’t be surprised if it leads to even more as the season progresses.

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