Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coach Kenny Atkinson made some controversial decisions as he watched the New York Knicks erase a 22-point fourth-quarter lead. Cleveland led 93-71 with 7:52 left in regulation of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks closed on a 44-11 run, including overtime, to steal a 115-104 victory. Atkinson used 1 timeout during the entire collapse and finished the fourth quarter with 2 still in his pocket, drawing the ire of Cavs fans on social media.
Fans Erupt as Kenny Atkinson’s Timeout Strategy Fails and Cleveland’s Backcourt Disappears
The collapse itself set the stage for everything that followed. Cleveland’s star backcourt, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, combined to shoot 1-for-10 from the field and 0-for-5 from three, for 3 points, with 2 turnovers during the Knicks’ closing run.
Mitchell, who finished with 29 points, didn’t score again after his final field goal with 8:19 left in the fourth. Harden, left to handle most of the offense down the stretch, shot 5-for-16 and committed 6 turnovers.
When asked about the timeouts, Atkinson put it plainly:Â “I like to hold my timeouts,” he said. “I didn’t want to have one timeout at the end of the game, one- or two-point game. I tried to hold them.”
The idea of banking timeouts for a close finish isn’t inherently wrong. The problem is that by the time the game got close, the Knicks had already completed the comeback. There was no late, tight situation left to manage.
The reaction online didn’t wait for nuance. One user called for Atkinson’s removal outright, writing, “This guy should not be coaching this team. Please hire a real coach and get this clueless clown off my team.”
This guy should not be coaching this team. Please hire a real coach and get this clueless clown off my team.
— Brian Lerree (@azoure1010) May 20, 2026
Podcast host Josh Reynolds questioned whether a coach had ever been dismissed after Game 1 of a conference finals, adding, “Because Kenny Atkinson should be the first… WHY ON EARTH did he not do anything about them head hunting Harden all 4th & OT? No double? Nothing? This entire comeback is on him.”
Have we ever seen a coach get fired after game 1 of a conference finals? Because Kenny Atkinson should be the first…
WHY ON EARTH did he not do anything about them head hunting Harden all 4th & OT? No double? Nothing? This entire comeback is on him. WTF are we watching lmao
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) May 20, 2026
Justin Macmahan was equally direct: “I think if you’re the Cavs you fire Kenny Atkinson tonight. Try your luck with one of the assistant coaches for the rest of the series. The Knicks just completed an all-time comeback due to sheer incompetence from Cleveland.”
I think if you’re the Cavs you fire Kenny Atkinson tonight. Try your luck with one of the assistant coaches for the rest of the series. The Knicks just completed an all-time comeback due to sheer incompetence from Cleveland
— Justin Macmahan (@JustinMacmahan) May 20, 2026
The criticism kept coming, as Adam Spolane remarked, “Kenny Atkinson might not survive the series.”
Bob Stew zeroed in on the timeout management: “Kenny Atkinson holding onto 4 timeouts as the Knicks go on an 18-1 run as Brunson cooks Harden might be the worst coaching job in league history.”
Kenny Atkinson holding onto 4 timeouts as the Knicks go on an 18-1 run as Brunson cooks Harden might be the worst coaching job in league history.
— Bob Stew (@TheBobStew) May 20, 2026
One user claimed he had doubts even during Atkinson’s Coach of the Year season. “He needs canned. I’ve been saying that since last year… even when he won of the year, he got lucky as f**k. He’s a fraud!”
Others skipped the analysis entirely: “Kenny Atkinson is such a fu**ing IDIOT! FIRE HIM MID FU**NG SERIES.”
One user who caught the postgame press conference had their own verdict.
“Kenny Atkinson with egregious coaching just took the Cavs from an incredible win to a season ending loss in 5 minutes. You’re not coming back from this lmao.”
Beyond the timeout decisions, Atkinson leaned on misfortune to explain the loss, saying the Knicks “hit some really tough shots” and that Cleveland “got a little unlucky, quite honestly.”
He did acknowledge one tactical regret, noting that the offense stalled when it needed to keep moving. “We were pinging the ball all over the place, great ball movement, and then it just got a little stagnant,” he said.
Unlucky is a hard word to stand behind when you’ve just surrendered the second-largest fourth-quarter lead in three decades.
Only the 2012 LA Clippers, who overcame a 24-point deficit against the Memphis Grizzlies, have pulled off a bigger fourth-quarter comeback in that span.
Cleveland’s blown 22-point lead sits alone in the record books for all the wrong reasons. To their credit, the Cavs have absorbed gut punches before this postseason and stood back up.
Whether that mentality holds over the course of the series is a different question entirely, but Atkinson’s seat just got considerably warmer.
