The Cleveland Cavaliers blew a 29-point lead in their 2026-27 NBA season opener Thursday night, falling 114-106 to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The loss put head coach Kenny Atkinson under intense scrutiny, with fans questioning his timeout decisions and inability to stop Philadelphia’s comeback.

NBA Fans Blame Kenny Atkinson for Cavaliers’ Historic Collapse vs. 76ers

Cleveland led by 24 points at halftime and stretched its advantage to 29 before Philadelphia rallied. Since the play-by-play era began in 1996-97, the Cavaliers had won all 155 games in which they led by at least 29 points.

The way the 2025 NBA Coach of the Year handled the collapse quickly caught the attention of fans.

“Kenny Atkinson today: — Waited for a 24-11 Sixers run to call a timeout in the third quarter — Waited for a 20-5 Sixers run to call a timeout in the fourth quarter — Choked a 29-point lead and lost the game. Just coaching malpractice lmao,” one fan wrote on X.

The same fan also pointed to Cleveland’s meltdown in last season’s Eastern Conference finals:

“You would think a generational Game 1 choke in the ECF by Kenny Atkinson would teach him to call a timeout at the right time. I’m witnessing the worst coach of all time.”

Cleveland lost Game 1 of that series against the New York Knicks 115-104 in overtime after surrendering a 22-point lead. The Cavaliers entered the fourth quarter ahead by 14, but New York rallied to win and eventually swept the series.

Another Cavaliers supporter raised similar concerns about substitutions and timeouts:

“2 things from Kenny Atkinson: 1) Way too late making subs 2) Not using timeouts fast enough. This is legitimately the same exact thing we saw in Game 1 of the ECF.”

Thursday’s defeat also ended an NBA streak of 466 consecutive regular-season wins by teams holding leads of at least 29 points.

Atkinson guided Cleveland to a 15-0 start in the 2024-25 campaign, his first season as head coach. The Cavaliers were later eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in five games in the 2025 East semifinals.

One fan also questioned Atkinson’s in-game adjustments while acknowledging problems with Cleveland’s roster:

“I’m willing to start entertaining the idea that Kenny Atkinson is a problem. He’s not the problem (that’s the roster). But I think he may be a problem. When things start going south, he never seems to have any answers.”

Others wondered whether Cleveland should have retained Atkinson after last season.

“Should’ve fired Kenny last year, we’re still paying for it,” one fan posted.

Another suggested that a coaching change could help the Cavaliers get more from their current roster.

“Since the roster isn’t going to change, think a different voice is needed to actually maximize the talent blend they have,” the fan remarked.

The frustration extended to Cleveland’s inability to protect sizable leads.

“Kenny Atkinson is on the Mount Rushmore of coaches I never feel safe with any lead,” NBA YouTuber Six Rings of Steel quipped.

Cleveland’s two previous postseason exits have added to the frustration surrounding Thursday’s loss. Atkinson’s in-game decisions have come under renewed fire after another sizable lead slipped away.

The Cavaliers will look to bounce back Saturday when they return home to face the Brooklyn Nets.