Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has spent a lot of time during the Eastern Conference semifinals talking about the Pacers’ physicality. He was working the officials as coaches tend to, hoping for a better whistle.
But on Sunday, after the Pacers’ 129-109 Game 4 mauling put the Cavs in a 3-1 series hole, Atkinson wasn’t complaining about Indiana’s physicality, he was admiring it.
“Complete domination by them is really kind of the story, kind of in every facet,” he said postgame. “It wasn’t like ‘Oh tactics,’ or anything… they dominated us in every facet of the game. That’s why you got a 20-point game, really a 30-point game.”
The Pacers led by as many as 44 points before it became a bench game.
“They dominated with their force,” Atkinson continued. “They raised their game to another level, and we didn’t match it. You know, we talked about it, we knew it was coming, I don’t know. You try to prepare for these things, you try to prepare your guys mentally, but for whatever reason they, like I said, they were at another level. Their force was greater in every sense… It was kind of physical domination.”
The Pacers go for the knockout blow Tuesday in Game 5 at Cleveland.
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