The Cavaliers have had a long and hectic season so far. They’ve moved across in the league to become a powerhouse. But just as the playoffs loom over, their momentum started to slip. A team once feared for its dominance is now suddenly finding itself struggling to focus. This is perhaps the last thing they want. That’s when their head coach, Kenny Atkinson, stepped in—with fire!

Coming off a frustrating loss to the Detroit Pistons, the Cavaliers faced the Clippers on Sunday in what could have been another letdown. Instead, they came out swinging, securing a 127-122 victory. What changed? According to Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, it all came down to Atkinson’s intense pre-game message. “There’s a very formal message from Kenny before the game with a lot of choice words that got us fired up,” Ja told the media. Curious about the message? Well, Mitchell gave a more colorful recap.

“He came in talking about Duke in the Final Four and s— then threw the water bottle at the screen, like, not it was good,” Spida said, laughing. “He came in lighthearted and then out of nowhere he just like, ‘What the—what is this?'” The outburst didn’t demotivate the team—it did the opposite.

“That’s what you need. You need that. That really got us going,” Donovan confirmed. “…That’s why we appreciate him. He’s fiery. We all knew that about him coming into this job, and J obviously, you know, knows that as well. So I loved it.” And the result is in front of us.

Cleveland came out with renewed energy, outplaying the Clippers from the jump instead of relying on a comeback. The message was clear: this team needed a wake-up call, and Atkinson delivered it.

While the passionate pregame speech was a turning point, it also brought a larger issue to light—the Cavaliers had lost focus.

Donovan Mitchell admits that Cavaliers lost focus

The way the Cavaliers climbed up the standings and held their ground was nothing short of impressive. They looked like real contenders for the championship this season. Long win streaks, a healthy squad, everything was clicking. But then, fatigue hit. After all those intense battles, they just couldn’t keep up and had to throw in the towel. But it wasn’t a choice they made.

When asked in the presser about the team losing focus, Donovan Mitchell explained, “I think we definitely did… I’m not going to say it was by choice. I think it’s just, it’s a natural thing. You’re not going to play well all year. I think the timing of when it happened, I think, is kind of what raised a lot of people’s eyebrows.”

Donovan further highlighted that after a successful run, including a 15-game win streak, the team hit a rough patch with a four-game losing streak. He acknowledged that even during the win streak, they weren’t playing their best, and the recent challenges are just part of the process. The focus now is on how they respond, learn from it, and continue to improve moving forward.

The team has worked too hard to get to where they are now. Falling back would be pointless. Their focus should be entirely on the championship title. And maybe Kenny Atkinson should keep delivering those fiery pre-game messages — seems like they do the trick!