The NBA season is flying by, and teams are trying to put themselves in a position to win. The playoffs will be here in a flash, and teams will be fighting for a guaranteed spot. For some teams, they are fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament.

Both conferences have their share of talented teams, as teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs are leading the West. The Detroit Pistons are on top of the Eastern Conference, and the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics are not too far behind.

Going into the season, there was a team that many expected to be on top of the East. If they were not the top team, they were at least expected to be in the race.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came into the season with high expectations. They finished the previous season with a record of 64–18, and that led to them winning awards. Kenny Atkinson won Coach of the Year, and Evan Mobley won Defensive Player of the Year.

For Atkinson, that was his first season as a head coach since he resigned in the 2019-20 season. He coached the Brooklyn Nets at that time, and by the end of that season, they had a record of 35-37. Atkinson coached 62 games, and the Nets had a record of 28-34 when he was running the show.

Cleveland fired J.B. Bickerstaff, who has found success with the Pistons since then. Atkinson took on the role, and the Cavaliers flourished in his first season.

Fast forward to today, and the Cavaliers are trying to climb the conference standings. They have had ups and downs throughout the season, but their recent games are a good sign.

Cavs fall to Thunder, respond with win streak

The Cavs have picked up wins over the Charlotte Hornets, the Sacramento Kings, the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. They fought to get those wins, and the win over the Lakers was the most impressive. Cleveland got off to a slow start, but after picking things up in the second half, the Cavaliers beat the Lakers by 30.

Cleveland suffered a big loss to Oklahoma City before these wins, and while things could have taken a turn for the worse, the Cavaliers responded with their win streak.

The Cavaliers want to keep that momentum going, and Donovan Mitchell is the key. In the Cavs’ last five games, Mitchell averaged 32.6 points, 6.4 assists and 4.4 rebounds. Cleveland is also getting contributions from Jaylon Tyson, who had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists against Los Angeles.

Mitchell and his teammates will begin a West Coast road trip, and with Mobley being out, the Cavs will need all of the help they can get. Things are looking up for the Cavs, and the upcoming trip will be a true test for them.