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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 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 '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: Cavaliers Make Troubling Donovan Mitchell Announcement After Injury in Game 4
