Sports · Basketball · 3 hrs ago
Kenny Atkinson says Knicks quote was taken out of context
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson revisited his mocked comments about the Knicks after Cleveland faced New York again on Saturday.
During last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, Cleveland was down 3-0 when Atkinson said the Cavaliers had “won 2 out of 3” based on expected scores.
Those numbers estimate how a game might have gone based on the quality of the shots, rather than the final score.
The Knicks swept Cleveland and won the four games by a total of 77 points, despite some expected-score estimates being more favorable to the Cavaliers.
Atkinson’s “analytically” remark became a running joke, including among Knicks players.
He said the quote was taken out of context and that he had been complimentary of the Knicks and honest about how they dominated Cleveland.
New York also won Saturday’s game, 109-97, and Atkinson did not cite expected scores afterward.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said his widely mocked comments about beating the New York Knicks “analytically” were taken out of context.
He made the clarification after the Cavaliers lost 109-97 to the Knicks on Saturday, their first meeting since the Eastern Conference Finals.
Atkinson said he had been complimentary of the Knicks and honest about how they dominated Cleveland.
His original remarks came after the Cavaliers fell behind 3-0 in the conference finals, when he said they had “won 2 out of 3” by expected score.
The Knicks went on to sweep the series, including a 130-93 win in Game 4.
- Who
- Kenny Atkinson, coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks.
- What
- Atkinson said his comments about the Cavaliers’ expected scores against the Knicks had been taken out of context. He also said the Knicks had dominated Cleveland.
- When
- Saturday, after the Cavaliers’ 109-97 loss to the Knicks. The articles were published on November 8, 2026.
- Where
- The Cavaliers faced the Knicks. The location of Saturday’s game is not stated.
- Why
- Atkinson sought to explain remarks that had been widely mocked, saying the soundbite made his answer sound less complimentary than it was.
Atkinson
Critics of his “analytically” comments
Context of the remarks
Atkinson
Atkinson said the quote was taken out of context and that he had been complimentary of the Knicks.
Critics of his “analytically” comments
Critics mocked his claim that Cleveland had won two of three games by expected score while trailing 3-0.
Knicks’ performance
Atkinson
Atkinson said the Knicks dominated the Cavaliers.
Critics of his “analytically” comments
Knicks players joked about the “analytically” remark, including Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns.
With Cleveland trailing 3-0, Atkinson said the Cavaliers had “won 2 out of 3” by expected score.
The Knicks beat the Cavaliers 130-93 to complete a sweep.
The Knicks beat the Cavaliers 109-97 in the teams’ first meeting since the series, and Atkinson addressed his earlier remarks.
- Series deficit
- Cavaliers trailed the Knicks 3-0 after Game 3
- Game 4 score
- Knicks 130, Cavaliers 93
- Saturday score
- Knicks 109, Cavaliers 97
- Atkinson’s expected-score claim
- Cleveland had “won 2 out of 3
- Series result
- Knicks swept the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals
2 sources
What people are saying
I would just say there was no coach more complimentary of the Knicks and honest about our performance and how they dominated us
Analytically … we've won 2 out of 3
I guess we lost analytically
analytically, we should win