Coach Atkinson not satisfied with Cleveland reaching Eastern Conference finals: 'We still have more to prove'

"Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said his team still had "a lot more to prove" despite moving into the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in eight years. The Cavs crushed the top-seeded Detroit Pistons 125-94 in Game Seven last night to set up a clash with the New York Knicks, starting tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden."

""It does mean something," he said. "This was the next step for us. First day of training camp, I put up the playoff record over the last three years, 11-15. "I've been saying all year we have a lot to prove. We still have more to prove. That's the next part of it, but we proved something to ourselves, that we could take that other step.""

"Donovan Mitchell bounced back nicely from a poor Game Six display with 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds. "Even last year, when we lost to Indiana, we had our goals set on getting to the Finals. We're just one step closer," Mitchell said. "But yeah, it's been almost a decade of running into the same issue. So for sure, I personally, and as a team, we can breathe a little bit.""

"Sam Merrill added: "It's a grind. We've played two extremely physical teams and to be able to continually get better throughout the series, I think, is a big step for us. "Listen, you'd love to sweep every series, but I think these have been great opportunities for us to get to know each other a little better, develop some more belief and just continue to get better. And that's what the playoffs are about. You got to keep getting better, make adjustments, and then find a way to win.""

Cleveland moved into the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in eight years by defeating the top-seeded Detroit Pistons 125-94 in Game Seven. The team will face the New York Knicks starting at Madison Square Garden. Coach Kenny Atkinson said the result was meaningful but that Cleveland still had more to prove after recent second-round playoff losses. Donovan Mitchell rebounded from a poor Game Six with 26 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Cleveland reached the stage through successive Game Seven wins, including a first-round series against the Toronto Raptors. Sam Merrill described the run as a grind involving physical opponents, continuous improvement, adjustments, and winning through playoff development.

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