Cavaliers Coach and Donovan Mitchell React to Crushing Game 2 Loss to Pacers
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson and star player Donovan Mitchell shared their thoughts after the team’s heartbreaking Game 2 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The Cavaliers were in control for much of the game, leading for over 42 minutes and even holding a 20-point advantage at one point. However, the Pacers made a stunning comeback, with Tyrese Haliburton hitting a game-winning shot that left both the Cavaliers and their fans at Rocket Arena in shock.
While the final minutes of the game will understandably be the focus of attention in the coming days, Mitchell made it clear that the team is already looking ahead to Game 3. As he stated after the loss, they have no choice but to move on.
“We don’t have a choice [but to mentally move past this],” Mitchell said. “We can sit here and dwell on it, and be home in four or five days, or we can take what we did well and build from that. I’m confident that everyone in the locker room is ready for Friday. It hurts, it stings, but we’ve got to go out and take care of business. Otherwise, that’s it.”
In his post-game remarks, Atkinson agreed with Mitchell’s outlook, but he also highlighted the Cavaliers’ fatigue as a key factor in their late-game collapse.
“I think we just ran out of gas towards the end,” Atkinson explained. “Fatigue affects both the physical and mental aspects of the game. With that, we made some poor decisions—at the rim, turnovers, and a few bad choices. That definitely contributed to the collapse.”
Both the coach and Mitchell are now focused on bouncing back in Game 3, knowing they need to regroup and refocus if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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