With their win over Orlando on Tuesday, the Cavaliers are now 48-10 on the season, matching their 2023/24 season win total with 24 games still left to play, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). However, that wasn’t a milestone that the team and head coach Kenny Atkinson felt was worth celebrating.
“In our locker room, amongst us, no one is talking about our record,” Atkinson said after the victory, per Fedor. “Focused on trying to prepare for these playoffs. Championship mentality.”
As Fedor writes, it took the Cavaliers seven hard-fought games to sneak by the Magic in the first round of last spring’s playoffs. Their 122-82 beat-down of the Magic in Orlando on Tuesday night served as a reminder of how far the Cavs have come in less than a year and how much higher their expectations are now.
“We’re not going to talk around it. We want to win a championship,” guard Ty Jerome said. “That’s our goal. If that’s not your goal, why come to training camp? I don’t think there’s any added pressure. A lot of good teams in this league. One day at a time. Continue to do what we do.
“… We have a special group,” Jerome continued. “This is my fourth team, and you don’t find this often in the NBA. We all have individual goals, but winning is at the forefront of our mind and we all want to see each other succeed. We are genuinely happy for each other. You don’t find that a lot in the NBA. Just not taking that for granted. It’s special. Don’t want it to pass you by.”
Here’s more on the Cavaliers, whose current eight-game winning streak is just their third-longest of the season:
- Among Eastern Conference rivals, the Celtics are the biggest obstacle in the way of a Cavaliers title. Cleveland is 1-2 against the defending champs so far this season and is looking forward to the fourth and final regular season matchup between the two teams on Friday in Boston, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “We still have to prove we can beat them, beat them at their place,” Atkinson said. “I think we go in there, kind of guns blazing, go for the win, whatever it takes, throw everything at them. And then after that game, we can kind of step back and say, ‘Hey, what can we do in the playoffs?'”
- Darius Garland, who has missed Cleveland’s past two games due to a left hip contusion, is aiming to be back in the lineup on Friday vs. the Celtics, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link).
- While Javonte Green likely won’t play a major role in the playoffs for the Cavaliers, adding him on the buyout market is part of the team’s broader effort to “stockpile wings,” Vardon writes for The Athletic. As Vardon writes, it’s rare for a championship team to start two smaller guards like Garland and Donovan Mitchell, but the Cavs’ plethora of wings helps the team protect its smaller backcourt, especially during the minutes when just one of Garland or Mitchell is on the floor.
Cleveland is not that close to the Celtics yet. Maybe one more year of seasoning.
That Celtics back court runs circles around the Cavs guards, and I’m not a huge fan of Jarrett Allen either. I could be wrong but when push comes to shove, He just seems like he will think of himself first before considering the team needs.
But.., the pick up of Hunter is huge. Definitely closes the gap a little.
Cavs are the most balance team in the NBA. Since Kenny is their coach I wouldn’t say inexperience will be a factor. If both teams are healthy it will be a great series.
Yeah, it’s not like they lack a lot of experience but if they meet Boston in the Western Conference finals, those fourth quarters are going to be a little bit white knuckled for the Cavs.
The arms start getting a little tight at the free-throw line and on mid range jumpers while the Celtics have been there and done that several times.
And again, I can’t gloat enough about Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. Love those two and at both ends of the floor.
It’s going to be who is the most healthy between Cavs and Celtics. None of the other east teams are in their category.
Yes, it’ll always be health but aside from that because you can’t predict it.
But the other side of the coin is, you have to be deep enough to withstand a big injury or even two. Look at the Celtics minus Porziņģis.., they still won.
I gotta say, I’ve been a fan of the Celtics for a LONG time and I gotta say I wish I had your confidence. Cleveland is tough.
Oh yes, absolutely they are tough. Twin towers, added Hunter, great backcourt.
Yet I still think the Celtics are better this year. And I don’t think it’s a seven game series if they meet. More like five. Next year could be a different story, but that’s my thinking today.
Maybe I’m misinterpreting what you wrote, but are you calling Jarrett Allen a selfish player?
If that’s the case, you couldn’t be further from the truth. I remember Bickerstaff throwing him under the bus after the playoffs last year for not getting a shot in his ribs to play (and even that is hardly selfish), but on the court he’s the ultimate team player and doesn’t really care about his own numbers.
OK, thank you for clarifying that. I did say “I could be wrong,” but I was going by what I had heard and By no means making a definitive call on the character of the man though. Throwing it out there and open to anything that someone might say differently. Thank you for chiming in.
My perception may have been based on that JB Bickerstaff stuff where Allen wouldn’t get medicated in order to play through an injury. Yes, correct that’s not being selfish and It’s actually being smart.
All good, I really just wanted to make sure I wasn’t misreading anything before I reacted one way or the other lol
But yeah, I’d imagine that perception comes from what Bickerstaff said about him after the postseason. He’s an awesome team player, and he seems perfectly content to put up 12 and 10 on any given night if it means helping the team.
Ridiculous statement. They have a six game lead and the wings to match up with Boston now. You are in denial. I would expect this series to go seven games and Game 7 would be in Cleveland. Nobody is sleeping on Cleveland except you, and maybe Boston.
We’ll see.
You expect Cleveland to come from out of nowhere and suddenly be championship material. That’s not how the NBA works.
But I appreciate your opinion and maybe you’ll be right. It’s all good and it would be great for the young guys on the Cavaliers and the coach as well. I’d love to see it. I don’t think it’ll happen but I’d love to see it.
Should be a fantastic game on Friday night. I’ll definitely tune in. Mental psyche aside, Cleveland needs this game more than Boston. Boston’s been coasting all season while Cleveland is playing with hunger and cohesiveness. Home court for Boston won’t matter since they KNOW they can and have beaten Cleveland in Rocket Arena. It’ll come down to the stars as it typically does in most sports. Tatum/Brown versus Mitchell and Garland (if he’s cleared to play).
FWIW, I got Boston Friday night, but it’ll be a competitive game the entire 48 mins.
Yes, definitely must see TV. Can’t wait.
As far as who may win, that’s not a game I would bet on. I have a feeling Boston, with nothing to prove at all, will not show all their cards Friday night.
In fact, thinking this through and with that in mind.., I might put The mortgage money on the Cavs Friday night lol. As you suggest, they have something to prove. Perhaps that they belong?
Replying to my own comment here, it looks like what I thought would happen Friday actually happened tonight lol.
Celtics fall to Detroit for many of the same reasons I thought they would fall to Cleveland on Friday.
The reason I make this particular comment is that perhaps Boston won’t want to Play casual two games in a row? Maybe they do come full force Friday because of this loss tonight?
Well, I guess I’m not betting the mortgage on the Cavs Friday. Should be a great game in any case !!
The Boston vs Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals is far, far from a certainty. If Mitchell Robinson is healthy, the whole dynamic changes for the Knicks defensively. If Jalen Suggs comes back healthy, the whole dynamic changes again for Orlando, especially defensively. Orlando looked like a potential Conference finalist before Banchero, Wagner and then Suggs went out. A healthy Giannis has Milwaukee looking very much like a potential conference finalist. Bobby Portis comes back with 5 games left in the season. Do you think Portis will be motivated???? Lillard and AJ Green are capable of winning a game or two with three’s. Cleveland will have a very, very hard time surviving a battle with Milwaukee and Giannis in the 2nd round. I wouldn’t look forward to playing any of these guys in the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Playoff basketball and Regular Season basketball are not the same.
You said ALL of last year the Celtics weren’t gonna win. You said they were going to lose every single playoff series they were in.
It was funny AF.
Thanks for your analysis.
You are funny and clearly have not watched much Cavalier basketball.
OK, I can see here that you’re a Cavaliers fan.
Obviously from your comments, you’re not making unbiased basketball statements, but speaking as a Cavs fan.
But there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just nice to know where these comments are based. Good stuff I hope they do well. No problem at all.
Cavs will be fresher for this particular match up. Boston on a back to back today, day off back to Boston where cavs will be waiting. Cavs will be judged off the playoffs, like everyone else.
Yes, absolutely true but they may play Friday night to prove something to themselves.
What is happening to Magic …..????
Cavs are a good team, news flash. Cavs are a tean still growing and getting better. Thats what new players, young players do. They grow up and grow as a team. Always liked their you g guys. Hunter is a great pickup. If not the Knicks. I want Cavs to do it.
Orlando’s backcourt is not all that. I thought Caldwell Pope would help shore it up this year, but he hasn’t really made the impact I thought he might.
Magic need that one stud guard. Suggs is good, but can’t stay healthy and it’s just that.., he’s “good.”
Plus, maybe you’ve noticed that when Cole Anthony has stepped up and had great games that Orlando has been great. But he’s inconsistent and probably not even starter material. They need that stud guard from somewhere.