Looking to match their franchise-record 15-game winning streak that began the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.
Cleveland, which picked up its 14th consecutive win Sunday in Milwaukee, hasn’t lost since Feb. 4.
In a 112-100 victory over the Bucks, Cleveland became just the seventh team in NBA history to post multiple 14-game winning streaks in a single season.
Owners of the league’s best record (54-10) and a 7 1/2-game lead over the second-place Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers are surging toward the No. 1 seed in next month’s playoffs. All five Cleveland starters scored in double figures Sunday, while 12 Cavaliers cracked the scoring column — an example of the team’s continued cohesion.
“We’re deep. It’s the reason we have the best record in the league,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We keep saying we can go 13 deep, and I think you wear people down that way. … It seems like one of those years that whoever we throw out there, whatever lineup it is, they kind of figure it out.”
On a night in which Donovan Mitchell, who leads the team with an average of 24.2 points per game, made just 4 of his 15 field-goal attempts and Darius Garland (20.9 ppg) was 1-for-8 on 3-pointers, Cleveland still earned a double-digit road victory over a fellow contender.
“When the best backcourt in the league doesn’t have a great game and we still win by 12, it’s another testament to our depth,” Atkinson said. “We also have great leadership all around.”
Evan Mobley adds an average of 18.5 points per game for the Cavaliers, while Jarrett Allen chips in 13.4 points and a team-high 10.2 rebounds per contest.
In an otherwise forgettable campaign, Brooklyn picked up one of its best wins of its season on Monday, knocking off a LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers team 111-108. Helping snap the Nets’ seven-game losing streak and post their first home win since before the All-Star break, reserve Noah Clowney led the Nets with 19 points in the surprise victory.
“I thought our energy and communication was very good,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said post-game. “After losing seven in a row, it was just good to get back to winning. It was a good feeling and a good reward for our work. We know tomorrow we will have a tough one.”
Brooklyn, which trails Chicago by 4 1/2 games for 10th place in the East and the final play-in tournament slot, is likely to miss its second straight playoffs. The Nets are paced by Cam Thomas’ 23.8 points per game and Cameron Johnson’s 18.9. Thomas missed the game against the Lakers with a left hamstring strain and is questionable to suit up Tuesday.
Tuesday’s game will end the season series between the Cavaliers and Nets, with Cleveland up 3-0.
–Field Level Media
