CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers might lose each sport remaining this season and nonetheless make the playoffs. They’re the one crew within the NBA able to saying that, and it’s not even St. Patrick’s Day.
Dropping, although, is the furthest factor from this historic crew’s collective thoughts proper now.
Cleveland fought again from a 7-point deficit within the fourth quarter to beat the Miami Warmth 112-107 on Wednesday night time to change into the league’s first crew to clinch a playoff berth. The Cavs personal the NBA’s finest document at 52-10, which stands as their finest document by means of 62 video games in crew historical past, and have gained 12 in a row.
Whether or not it’s coach Kenny Atkinson, star Donovan Mitchell or one of many Cavs’ many succesful function gamers doing the speaking, it is a crew that, repeatedly, speaks into existence that judgment will come throughout the playoffs. To a person, they realize it to be true. And but, what’s taking place in Cleveland throughout this lengthy, 82-game slog of an everyday season, nicely, it’s uncommon.
The Cavs are simply one in every of two groups in NBA historical past to have three profitable streaks of at the very least 12 video games, becoming a member of the 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks. Their 52 wins in 62 tries are tied for the eighth-best document by means of that many video games in league historical past. Virtually as an apart, Cleveland has gained 16 of its final 17 and owns an NBA-best house document of 29-4.
FIRST TEAM IN. #LETEMKNOW pic.twitter.com/bHn7OwRhhc
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 6, 2025
Oh, the Cavs are additionally 45-0 this season when main or tied after three quarters, which is bonkers by itself. That statistic was extra spectacular Wednesday as a result of it meant the Cavs have been up on the Warmth by 4 heading into the fourth, fell behind by 7 and located a option to win once more of their third sport in 4 nights.
So, yeah. This crew was predicted to win 48 video games for the season by oddsmakers on the outset, made no main roster adjustments after dropping within the second spherical of the playoffs, and swapped in Atkinson for the earlier coach, JB Bickerstaff, whose groups improved yearly he coached them.
“The whole lot’s type of gone our manner, proper?” Atkinson stated. “We have now nice expertise, nice continuity, nice togetherness. … There’s luck once you do this. There needs to be as a result of it’s so exhausting to win within the NBA.
“It’s particular. It’s actually particular. We all know what we’re going to be judged on, however we take pleasure in this.”
Mitchell, one in every of Cleveland’s three All-Stars, led his crew with 26 factors. His 3-pointer with 3:25 to go put the Cavs up for good, although they almost misplaced the lead within the closing seconds. Miami’s Duncan Robinson made what would have been the tying 3 with 17.4 seconds left however was dominated to have stepped out of bounds earlier than the shot.
The Warmth, a possible first-round playoff matchup for Cleveland as a doable No. 8 seed, have been led by Bam Adebayo’s 34 factors and 12 rebounds. They have been lacking a number of key gamers, together with All-Star Tyler Herro and Andrew Wiggins, acquired in a blockbuster commerce for Jimmy Butler final month.
Former Warmth function participant Max Strus, a key member of Miami’s final NBA Finals crew in 2023, defended Adebayo twice down the stretch when the Cavs protection registered six consecutive stops to eke out one other win. On one play, with 27.7 seconds left and Miami trailing by simply 3, Adebayo fumbled the ball out of bounds with Strus guarding him close to the basket.
“He was telling me to protect him all sport,” Strus stated. “So when it got here right down to it, I bought the possibility. You might say the ball slipped out of his fingers, otherwise you would possibly say he felt my presence. We’ll go away it as much as you guys to resolve.”
Strus was on the Warmth crew that entered the playoffs because the eighth seed and gained the East. Now he’s on top-of-the-line regular-season groups in NBA historical past. “You don’t wish to get caught up in it,” he stated, “however on the similar time, you wish to keep in mind the journey.
“It’s my sixth yr, however I type of really feel like I’m outdated already. However it’s loopy what we’re doing and to be part of it. And it’s a particular yr. So that you wish to attempt to keep in mind, attempt to take all of it in. However on the similar time, you already know as soon as 82 video games is over, that’s when the actual season begins.”
MAX DOING WHAT HE DOES. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/u4iOLmV8Ei
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) March 6, 2025
Cleveland opened the season 15-0. The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, regardless of the Cavs’ outrageous season, are nonetheless inside one sport of Cleveland for the NBA’s No. 1 seed. Oklahoma Metropolis additionally gained 15 in a row throughout the season however had its profitable streak snapped by the Cavs. Cleveland beat the Toronto Raptors within the subsequent sport for a 12-game streak, and the present streak started after a slender Feb. 4 loss to the defending champion Boston Celtics.
The Cavs made the essential commerce for De’Andre Hunter two days later and haven’t misplaced with him within the lineup. Hunter continues to be an ideal complement to what was already a deep, robust crew, giving it a switchable wing off the bench who can guard any place and rating.
Hunter completed with 16 factors. Evan Mobley, one other Cleveland All-Star, contributed 16 factors and 13 boards.
“This was an expectation,” Mitchell stated of clinching a playoff spot. “Is it nice that we did it in March? Yeah, however that is the naked minimal for us.”
The Cavs weren’t even this good, at the very least throughout the common season, when Kevin Love was on the crew – a noteworthy touch upon this night time. Love, a key piece of the Cavs’ 2016 championship crew, performed his first sport in Cleveland since he was purchased out of his contract in March 2023.
Love, taking part in in simply his twenty first sport this season with the Warmth, began and scored 10 factors with six rebounds. He starred for the Cavs since they traded for him in 2014 by means of their final finals look in 2018. That Cleveland crew from the glory days broke up, however Love selected to remain and signed a four-year, $120 million contract.
He was injured nearly instantly within the fall of 2018 and didn’t return till February. By that point, Cleveland was already in stage one in every of a painful (however brief) rebuild.
Love completed second in voting for NBA Sixth Man of the Yr in 2022, when Cleveland surprisingly surged to the highest of the East earlier than falling within the Play-In Event and failing to advance to the playoffs. The next yr, Love’s final with the Cavs, he fell out of the rotation in January when Bickerstaff selected to present his minutes to Dean Wade.
Cleveland was headed for the playoffs, however Love requested for and obtained a buyout for the ultimate yr of his contract in March 2023. He signed with Miami and performed a key function for a Warmth crew that reached the finals.
The Cavs welcomed again Love with a video tribute throughout the first timeout. When the video completed, he walked close to midcourt and waved to the sold-out crowd, putting his hand over his coronary heart and pointing to his ring finger.
“I can’t say I wished it,” Love stated. “I’ve discovered myself fading to the background a bit. It does really feel good to be acknowledged in a spot the place we gained and did lots of particular issues collectively as a gaggle. It’s enjoyable to lookup there.”
Just one participant — Tristan Thompson — from Cleveland’s final championship is left on the roster, however a number of of the Cavs’ present key items have been on the crew when Love left.
The way in which issues are going, these gamers, Love’s former teammates, would possibly be capable of level to their ring fingers by mid-June.
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(Picture of Donovan Mitchell and Pelle Larsson: Sue Ogrocki / Related Press)
