Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson got his money’s worth before getting ejected from Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.
The Cavs trailed the Pacers 78-76 with about a minute left inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson drained a tough floater in the paint to tie the ballgame up.
Despite getting the basket to fall, Thompson was upset that there wasn’t a foul called against defender Obi Toppin on the play. Atkinson had his player’s back. The 57-year-old coach yelled profanities at the officials over the no-call, which led to him getting two technical fouls. He was ejected for just the second time in his NBA coaching career.
“That’s bull—t! That’s bull—t!” Atkinson shouted over and over.
HC Kenny Atkinson just got EJECTED from Pacers-Cavs after he wanted a foul called on this bucket 😳
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 11, 2025
He got hit with a double-technical pic.twitter.com/s800poJyBt
Without their head coach on the sideline, the Cavaliers lost the contest 114-112.
Atkinson addressed the ejection during his postgame press conference.
“There are moral victories, this is one of them,” said Atkinson. “I really loved how we competed tonight…. they understand we got a deep team. … I don’t regret that one. It’s Tristan Thompson. He is 14 years in the league. … I felt like that was a moment when you have to stand up for your guys. I’ll take that one every day of the week.”
The ejection may have been a calculated play made by Atkinson. The Cavs had already clinched the top seed in the East with a win in their previous game against the Chicago Bulls.
With nothing to play for and the playoffs just around the corner, Atkinson found a perfect opportunity to remind his players that he has their backs.
