A significant measure of how the regular season is unfolding for the Cleveland Cavaliers is that they can talk about pursuing other trophies after Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley teamed up to win the All-Star skills competition.
After a season-opening 15-game winning streak and another 12-game run, the Cavaliers are rolling again with four straight wins heading into Thursday’s game against the host Brooklyn Nets.
At 44-10, the Cavs are four away from last year’s total when they finished 48-34 after winning 51 the previous season. In both campaigns, Cleveland’s season ended before getting to the conference finals, but this team has a good chance of winning at least 60 for the third time in team history.
“We’re trying to take home every trophy,” Mitchell said. “In the regular season, in the playoffs and here at All-Star (weekend).”
Cleveland’s current stretch marks its fifth streak of at least four wins under first-year coach Kenny Atkinson.
The team entered the break with a 131-108 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 12. De’Andre Hunter scored 18 points as a reserve in his second game since being acquired from the Atlanta Hawks at the deadline. It was the 15th time this season that the Cavaliers have scored at least 130 points.
Cleveland has 13 wins by at least 20 points, including its 130-101 blowout in Brooklyn on Dec. 16. Because of those lopsided victories and 32 wins decided by at least 10 points, Atkinson has been able to manage the minutes for Mitchell (31.3), Darius Garland (30.2) and Mobley (30.0).
Mitchell entered the break after scoring 21 points in 29 minutes when Cleveland held a 24-point lead after the opening quarter in Toronto. Garland scored 15 points and Mobley notched 12 plus 15 rebounds for his 24th double-double.
The Nets, meanwhile, were playing their best basketball of the season before the break. Since a 110-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn is 6-1 over its past seven games and has allowed just 91.5 points in those six wins.
Brooklyn entered the break after earning a 100-96 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 12. The Nets held Philadelphia to 43.2 percent shooting from the field and 24.2 percent (8-of-33) from 3-point range.
After the game, Nets players provided some strong words for fans who might be hoping the team loses enough games to get a better draft pick.
“We do not care what they say about that,” Brooklyn forward Cameron Johnson said. “Listen, at the end of the day, the 15, 18 guys on his team have a job to do, and our job is not to try to get a draft pick.
“Our job is simply to win basketball games.”
D’Angelo Russell scored 22 against the 76ers. Trendon Watford added 18 and Nic Claxton had 13 to reach double figures for the ninth time in 12 games. Claxton also collected five blocks and has 22 of his 66 rejections in his past seven contests.
–Field Level Media
