An accounting defeat, but a “moral victory” for Kenny Atkinson • Basket USA

Jarrett Allen must have felt a little lonely at the start of the match in Indiana. The pivot was the only usual holder of the riders in clothes, between the small seeds of some (Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Max Strus) and the rest left to the others (Evan Mobley). However, he only played in the first period, and this workforce chosen by Kenny Atkinson was almost a success on the whole line. Cleveland led for a large part of the meeting, before losing two small points among the Pacers.

With the first place of the conference is already in his pocket, the opportunity was good to leave the major players in the fridge, while giving the usual replacement the opportunity to enhance themselves.

« This is a sign of a good group »Haded herself Cleveland's coach. « I said it all season, we have a workforce of 18 players. And that's why I feel confident when I approach this kind of games, when I know that we are going to make our bench or our young players play a lot. We have given ourselves to win. I'm really proud of the guys who started. It's a shame that we couldn't finish this match. »

No reduction in the rotation to wait in the playoffs

The riders could have hung the overtime if the rookie Jaylon Tyson had succeeded in the mermaid. Performance is already significant against one of the most fit teams of the League, which, it evolved well. “” Do you know what I liked about Jaylon and Craig Porter JR? There was no fear in them, they did not hide from the ball, they took their shots Encouraged Kenny Atkinson at a press conference. “” Did they make mistakes? Absolutely. But I told them the whole match, continue to make mistakes, continue to be aggressive. »

This failure and the final result, the technician of the riders puts them very much. Because the performance of its players is also a message sent to a potential opponent in the final phase, while the Pacers have locked their place in the Top 4 of the East, and that they could virtually face Cleveland in the conference semi-final.

« There are 'moral victories', it is one. I really liked how we fought tonight, how we defended. It is a team that we could face in playoffs so they now know that we have a deep workforce. »

De'Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome took the opportunity to turn into offensive leaders with 47 points for two, and an obvious impact on the Cavs game (respectively +18 and +13 at +/-).

Because if the trend in playoffs is for reduced rotations and playing times reserved for the usual holders, Kenny Atkinson persists and signs: he does not intend to change his use of the bench. “” Tonight, TY has confirmed that he will be an important contributor in playoffs “He insisted. “” It was voluntary to give the ball to Ty against Andrew Nembhard because we know that we can play this team in playoffs, so this duel will mean something. I have the feeling that our group is ready, and not only from the first to the eighth player in the rotation, but from the first to the fifteenth. »

Excluded, even without stake, and without regrets

And the former Nets coach joined the gestures to speak beyond giving minutes. For a match on paper without much stake, at least accounting, Kenny Atkinson went so far as to get out of his hinges following a forgotten fault on Tristan Thompson and to get expelled at the end of the third quarter.

« I do not regret having been expelled He reacted, sure of his fact. “” We are talking about Tristan Thompson, he has been in the league for 14 years. And to be honest, it could have been anyone. He was pushed in the back, a fault as blatant as this one … The referees do phenomenal work and they can miss whistles. But I felt that it was a time when you should not let yourself go, when I had to defend Tristan. So I will take these technical faults every day of the week if necessary. »

For his superstar, as for his veteran who is satisfied with game ends.