Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson and Donovan Mitchell twice stepped in front of referee Tony Brothers during Game 1. They intervened as Brothers made his way toward Max Strus.
Their aim was to de-escalate interactions between Brothers and Strus. This intervention potentially prevented Strus from being ejected.
Strus was a significant factor in Cleveland’s 126-113 victory over Toronto. This opened their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Strus’ Impact and Mitchell’s Leadership
Strus contributed 24 points off the bench. He shot 8-of-10 from the field and made 4 of 6 from 3, marking a playoff career-high in just 24 minutes.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 32 points. Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in the first game of nine consecutive playoff series.
Strus was coming off the bench after a truncated season. His season was shortened by offseason foot surgery.
Atkinson’s Intervention Tactics
Brothers is known as a highly rated veteran official. He also has a reputation for an occasionally short fuse.
Atkinson and Mitchell put their hands on Brothers while making their case for Strus. Neither were hit with technicals for grabbing Brothers by the arms.
Brothers appeared to listen to their pleas regarding Strus and declined to escalate the situation.
First-Half Incident Near the Bench
The first incident occurred in the first half during a close game. A call went against the Cavs near their bench.
Strus, who was not in the game, leapt from his seat toward the court to protest.
Brothers told Strus to get back immediately.
Atkinson rushed over to Brothers, placing himself between the referee and the Cavs. Atkinson had his hands on Brothers.
Atkinson’s demeanor appeared calm and friendly. He may have been joking.
Atkinson told The Athletic that he told Tony it wasn’t bad intentioned. Atkinson thought Strus may have thrown the ball.
“He was frustrated with himself, and it wasn’t directed towards you. I just tried to mitigate, or negotiate, because Max can get riled up,” said Atkinson.
Second-Half Tensions
In the second instance, the Cavs had significantly extended their lead, going up by as many as 24 points.
There were three fouls called on Strus during the third quarter. That made five for the game.
The Raptors were lining up to shoot free throws.