The Cleveland Cavaliers won their 15th consecutive game on Tuesday, March 11. The 109-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets saw Kenny Atkinson’s team secure the huge win streak for the second time this season, while the Cavaliers were also crowned champions of the central division for the first time since 2018.
Throughout the first three quarters, Darius Garland struggled to make an impact. However, the talented guard came alive during the fourth quarter, registering 18 of his 30 points on the night. Garland’s scoring struggles primarily came on the perimeter, with him hitting just 3-of-11 from deep.
During his postgame news conference, Atkinson declared that Garland is this season’s ‘clutch player of the year.’
“Clutch player of the year,” Atkinson said. “I mean, he just does it in the fourth quarter. He’s done it all year. I’ll give us some credit for starting him in the fourth, normally that’s not his rotation…18-point fourth quarter. I liked that he kept pushing the pace. He wasn’t slowing it down, he wasn’t looking for mismatches. He was using his speed and skill.”
Garland has been a key part of the Cavaliers’ success this season. In 60 games, he’s averaging 20.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists. He’s shooting 47.8% from the field and 41.5% from deep.
Charles Barkley Predicts Cavaliers Make NBA Finals
According to Charles Barkley via a March 6 episode of TNT’s NBA Today, the Cavaliers are favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
“Man, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to the finals,” Barkley said. “…That’s going to be a great series if they play the Celtics. But right now, I’m telling you, and I told you to book it last week, the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to the NBA finals. I did guarantee it.”
The Cavaliers have been dominant throughout the regular season. They currently sit first in the Eastern Conference with a 55-10 record. Furthermore, they have the best record in the entire league, having won two more games than the second-placed Oklahoma City Thunder.
Cavaliers Are Staying Humble Despite Success
Regular season success doesn’t guarantee anything in the postseason. The playoffs are a different challenge altogether. As such, Atkinson believes his team are keeping their feet on the ground. During a March 7 postgame news conference following a 112-107 win over the Miami Heat, Atkinson praised his team’s mentality.
“We’re not a cocky team, but we kind of know [who we are],” Atkinson said. “We’re getting to the point where we show zero kind of trepidation or we don’t rush for the most part, and we get to what we want to get to.”
With the regular season drawing to a close, the Cavaliers will have one eye on the playoffs. They will enter the postseason with homecourt advantage. As such, they will undoubtedly feel confident about their chances against any team in the NBA. Of course, if Cleveland wants to come out of the East, they must find a way to overcome the Boston Celtics. The two franchises have split their season series 2-2.
Both Boston and Cleveland match up well. Whichever team comes out of the East will have a strong chance of securing a championship, and there’s no reason that can’t be the Cavaliers.
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