Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson addressed the widespread mockery of his "analytically" comment made during last season's Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks. After the Cavaliers fell into a 3-0 series deficit, Atkinson told reporters, "Analytically … we've won 2 out of 3," referencing expected-score metrics that suggested the games were closer than the final results indicated. The Knicks went on to win Game 4 by 37 points and the series, while players such as Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns turned the phrase into a running joke.
Context of the original quote
Atkinson's remark came in response to a question about how to give his players hope when no NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit. He explained that the team's analytics department used expected-score models — which estimate what the score should have been based on shot quality and expected field-goal percentages — and that those models showed Cleveland winning two of the first three games. Prime Stats, a public analytics source, had Game 3 projected as a 113-113 tie and Game 1 as a 10-point New York win in regulation, though that game went to overtime.
Atkinson's explanation
Speaking after the Cavaliers' 109-97 loss to the Knicks in their first meeting since the playoffs, Atkinson said the soundbite was taken out of context. "I would just say there was no coach more complimentary of the Knicks and honest about our performance and how they dominated us," he said. "99% of my comments were how they dominated us. They were by far the better team." He acknowledged that citing process and expected scores while down 3-0 and after blowing a 22-point fourth-quarter lead was poorly received, but said he was searching for any positive sign to rally his players in an impossible situation.
Recent game and expected score
In Saturday's regular-season matchup, the Knicks won again, but Prime Stats posted an expected score of 112-103 in Cleveland's favor. Atkinson did not reference those numbers after the defeat, instead emphasizing the Knicks' superiority on the court.
