Jan 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Cavaliers Immediate Reactions Following 'Tough Loss' vs. Rockets

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Tommy Wild | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 12:20 AM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been faced with some tough tasks over the last few weeks. Their latest challenge came on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, who remain one of the top teams in the NBA.

This was a gritty matchup between two top teams in their conference, but the Rockets ultimately won 109-108.

While Cleveland's head coach admitted this was a difficult game to lose, he also saw many things he liked out of the group.

"I love how we fought. I love our resiliency. I love our team. We were short-handed; guys fought like crazy. I thought our toughness, willingness to battle all that stuff - and sometimes it doesn't go your way," said Kenny Atkinson following the loss.

"We had chances. They had chances. I mean, it's the NBA. So, no regrets. I thought our guys laid it on the line. It's a tough loss, obviously."

While the Cavaliers did an incredible job battling back and even taking the lead in the fourth quarter even though they were down 13 points at one point, the big moment of the game was the two free throws Darius Garland missed towards the end of regulation.

What does a coach tell a player after a moment like that?

Atkinson said he told Garland, "'You've been carrying us all year.' He put himself in a good position. One of the best free-throw shooters in the league. It happens, but I love that guy. I love his effort."

Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell had a similar message to what Atkinson preached. Yes, this was a tough loss, but it's about learning from it and moving on to the game.

"You always want to learn through wins, but sometimes you just got to learn through losses. Our best free-throw shooter on the team missed two today. It happens. It's life. It's gonna happen. There's a lot of things that we could've done better to get to that point before those free throws."

The moral of the story is that the Cavaliers will not dwell on one bad loss. They've played nearly flawless basketball all season long, and games like this will happen from time to time.

It also makes it a little easier to stomach this game, considering the Wine and Gold have another shot at the Rockets this Saturday. Only this time, it'll be on their home court at Rocket Mortage FieldHouse.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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