Cavaliers Make Coaching Announcement on Tuesday
The Cleveland Cavaliers received some tremendous news ahead of Tuesday's Game 5 matchup against the Indiana Pacers. This comes in the form of Donovan Mitchell overcoming the ankle injury that forced him to exit their Game 4 loss on Sunday, allowing him to suit up for Tuesday's do-or-die clash.
Mitchell might not be 100% at this point, but the fact that the Cavs get their best player back on the court for Game 5 is an undeniably significant development for them and their hopes to extend this second-round NBA playoffs series.
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That wasn't the only bit of good news the Cavs received before the game. The team took to social media before tip-off to make a big announcement about head coach Kenny Atkinson.
"Kenny Atkinson has won the 2024-25 Rudy Tomjanovich Award, which honors an NBA coach for his cooperation with the media and fans, as well as his excellence on the court!" the Cavs posted on X.
"This season, Atkinson guided the Cavaliers to a 64-18 record, the best in the Eastern Conference, and was consistently thoughtful and engaging with the media."
This is the first time Atkinson has won this award, which is given by the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA). Atkinson succeeds Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who bagged the title last season.
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Atkinson has achieved this honor in his first year with the Cavs. He spent the last three seasons with the Warriors as an assistant on Kerr's coaching staff.
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers.Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
'Kenny has always brought great candor, humility and a sense of humor to the job, and to his regular sessions with the media,' said PBWA president Howard Beck, via NBA.com. 'He's always eager to explain the nuances of the game and to discuss the bigger issues across the league.'
Atkinson has a daunting task ahead of him on Tuesday night as he looks to lead the Cavs to a home win at Rocket Arena. Down 3-1 in the series, Cleveland has no other choice but to secure a victory in Game 5 in order to stave off elimination.
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Related: NBA Facing Major Accusation During Pacers-Cavaliers Game 4
Related: Caitlin Clark Had No Words for Pacers-Cavaliers Blowout
Related: Cavaliers Make Troubling Donovan Mitchell Announcement After Injury in Game 4
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Looking at 4 wings Boston Celtics could pick in 2025 NBA Draft
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Player grades: Tyrese Haliburton stuns Thunder in 111-110 Game 1 loss to Pacers
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Jalen Williams: C Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) celebrates after dunking the ball against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Being the first to the ball after a bad inbound pass, Williams ran down the court and had the easy jam. After a forgettable three quarters, a loud start to the fourth frame looked like the All-Star was going to be on the verge of a classic late-game takeover. Advertisement Instead, Williams' mistakes couldn't be erased. He finished with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting, six assists and four rebounds. He shot 1-of-4 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws. He also had a steal. The Thunder need more from Williams. We know this by now. Gilgeous-Alexander will get his numbers, but how the rest of the roster does will decide a lot about this series. When the 24-year-old gets in a groove, it's basketball poetry. When his jumper is off, like it was tonight, annoyance boils over into frustration. You like the shot process by Williams. He took jumpers that he usually makes. He barreled to the rim on drives he usually finishes. But Indiana did enough to disrupt his rhythm and force close misses. He almost got away with it with a strong start to the fourth quarter, but OKC's collapse brought his inconsistency issues to the forefront. Chet Holmgren: D Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) during the second quarter in game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Everything said about Williams can be copied and pasted here for Holmgren. Except you could do that for a couple more times to drive home the point in a theatrical way. The Thunder went with a single center to start. Isaiah Hartenstein was benched in favor of Cason Wallace. By the end, they abandoned that, too. Hard to blame them, either. Advertisement Holmgren finished with six points on 2-of-9 shooting and six rebounds. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had a block. As the game progresses, you see less of Holmgren. He only logged 24 minutes and played just four minutes of a close fourth quarter. The Pacers' outside shooting pulled the seven-footer outside of the paint. The Thunder had to concede and play mostly small-ball in the final moments. Questions arose about Hartenstein's playability against the Pacers. Very different circumstances, but he struggled against mostly the same roster on the New York Knicks. Funny how sports can turn out, as he was more effective than Holmgren in Game 1. The Thunder will need Holmgren to play better. They were killed on the boards by a 56-39 disadvantage. That allowed the Pacers to overcome the shot-attempt difference slowly. The 23-year-old has to play better on both ends or risk being unplayable. Lu Dort: A Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) blocks a shot by Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the fourth quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Besides Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort was the other positive for the Thunder. His Game 1 will go in vain. The same way Caruso's Game 1 against the Nuggets did with 20 points. A day after he penned a heartfelt Player Tribune letter to the OKC fanbase, he did enough to lock a win. Advertisement Dort finished with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, four rebounds and an assist. He shot 5-of-9 from 3. He also had four steals and two blocks. As the Thunder's offense dried up, Dort's outside shot gave them much-needed buckets. The defense was special as well. He faded Haliburton into the background for most of the night. Dives for loose balls energized the crowd as they sang his first name. If the final result reversed, a lot of the postgame talk would be about how he added to his Big Game Lu mythos. Instead, it'll get forever lost as Haliburton's clutch gene was the headliner. Alex Caruso: B Jun 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) drives to the basket past Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the second quarter during game one of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images The Thunder heavily relied on their three-headed defensive POA monster. Dort, Caruso and Cason Wallace usurped Holmgren and Hartenstein in the hierarchy. It wasn't the preferred result, but the plan worked. Nobody from Indiana exploded for a monster night. Instead, everybody chipped in. Advertisement Caruso finished with 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting, six rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-4 from 3 and went 4-of-5 on free throws. He had three steals and two blocks. The Thunder's league-best defense showed up through three quarters. They caused havoc. The Pacers were so deep in their own minds because of their ability to create turnovers that they always checked over the shoulder before an elementary entry pass. Then the fourth frame happened. The Thunder have to shake off the shock. They'll have three days to marinate on this stunner before Game 2. This is what the NBA Finals are about. As the only NBA champion on the roster, Caruso offered some much-needed perspective that his teammates need to hear, which simultaneously probably angered OKC fans. Highlights: This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder stunned in 111-110 Game 1 loss to Pacers
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2025 NBA Finals practice: What the Thunder, Pacers said on June 7
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