Cavs

The Cavs crushed Houston, 108-91, ending a five-year playoff drought and clinching a berth without LeBron for the first time in more than two decades.

LeVert started in Okoro’s place to begin the second half. “I think organizationally this is a big deal to come from where we came from and every year continue to take steps in the right direction,” said Cavs coach J.B. The Cavs grabbed the proverbial sage and set it ablaze, waving it around Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday night. In a game that featured just two early lead changes and a pair of ties, the Cavs quickly built a double-digit cushion, going ahead by 11 points after one quarter. Mitchell -- one of the few playoff veterans sprinkled throughout the young roster -- added 22 points, pouring in eight of those during a tone-setting first quarter. In all, the Cavs trailed for just 57 seconds on Sunday night, giving the amped sellout crowd plenty of chances to salute the playoff-bound home team. Mobley stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks. But the Cavs weren’t going to put their fate in anyone else’s hands. “All the hard work that people in this organization have put in to help get us here should be acknowledged. It’s their fourth straight win and sixth in the last seven games. That’s the goal. With him, Cleveland was a pillar of stability and prosperity.

The last time the Cavs were in the playoffs was back in 2018 when LeBron James led them to the NBA Finals where they lost to the Golden State Warriors. LeBron ...

The Cleveland Cavaliers clinched a spot in the 2023 NBA Playoffs with a 108-91 win over the Rockets on Sunday. Here's what you need to know:.

[Jarrett Allen](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jarrett-allen-52csaKyJnLhhpzzw/) in their starting lineup, the rest have not been to the playoffs before. [Caris LeVert is finding a rhythm during Cavaliers’ home-court push: ‘He’s doing everything’](https://theathletic.com/4325985/2023/03/20/caris-levert-cavaliers-nba-standings/) [What’s fueled Cavs’ Evan Mobley’s aggressive on-court presence? [Brooklyn Nets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/nets/) loss to secure a spot in the 2023 [NBA](https://theathletic.com/nba/) postseason and got both. There is a belief among the group that over time, they have the potential to take this group far in the playoffs. They have had their ups and downs throughout the season but have taken the necessary steps forward. After the Cavs surprised many around the league last season with their three-big lineup and jumped out in the Eastern Conference, they fell off towards the end of the season due to injuries, and lost both Play-In games to have their season cut short.

Jarrett Allen scored 24 points and had 14 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell added 22 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched a playoff spot for the first time ...

With their 108-91 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched a spot in the NBA playoffs for the…

A year after coming a possession away from making the NBA Finals, the Heat just haven't found any sort of consistency this season. The play-in race in the East is also fairly interesting as Miami and Brooklyn have switched places several times over the last few days for the No. 11 seed after back-to-back losses to the lowly Charlotte Hornets, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention. Dallas Mavericks (36-39) Minnesota Timberwolves (37-37) Washington Wizards (33-42) Indiana Pacers (33-42) Chicago Bulls (36-38) Toronto Raptors (37-38) Atlanta Hawks (37-38) Miami Heat (40-35) Brooklyn Nets (40-35)

“Our priority is playing Cavaliers basketball and doing it for 48 minutes." The Rockets entered Sunday with a record of 18-56 — the third worst in the league — ...

And then the play-in adds an additional weeks, so that's three weeks to have the opportunity to get better." And this is a start for us, to clinch a playoff spot.” “Whatever happens, [the playoffs] are still a long way away,” Bickerstaff said. “We understand, and hopefully our message has been clear of what we are trying to accomplish and what we are trying to every single night. Over the next few weeks, Bickerstaff said the focus is building habits. With a 108-91 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers are officially playoff bound.

We are now entering into the home stretch of the NBA Season. Many teams are finding the right rotation and personnel for a playoff run, while others will be ...

A third X factor for the Cavs is their health. The unfortunate risk of one bad break can be the end of a team’s season, though. He’s shooting a career-best 47.7% from the field and a career-best 37.8% from three. As with all teams, the issue is always health. When healthy, the Cavs’ lineup is loaded and can compete with anybody in the league, not to mention a young core that can contest for years to come. Although this is Mazzulla’s first year head coaching, he was on the Boston Celtics staff that represented the Eastern Conference just a year ago. Bickerstaff, no doubt, has done a tremendous job with the team and where he has them positioned. With that being said, the playoffs are a different animal, entirely. The more positive X-factors, the better for any NBA franchise. If Bickerstaff can keep his team on the straightened narrow, we could be in for a treat and the Cavaliers making a successful run in the playoffs. Minus the Play-In Tournament last season, the Cavs are on the cusp of clinching their first playoff berth since the 2017-2018 season, where they made the NBA Finals, ultimately getting swept by the Golden State Warriors. The Cleveland Cavaliers, currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, are

In addition, the Cavs will soon play postseason basketball without LeBron James for the first time since 1998. If they can win their first-round series, it will ...

[Charlotte Hornets](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/CHA/charlotte-hornets/) (seven seasons) and the soon-to-be-playoff-bound [Sacramento Kings](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/SAC/sacramento-kings/) (17 seasons). Typically young guys are so worried about figuring out themselves that the team is secondary; we've got a bunch of guys where the team is the primary thing and the only thing." And in the first four seasons after James left again in 2018, they won 104 total games. When James left in 2011, they won 97 total games in the next four seasons without him; when he came back in 2015, they went to four consecutive Finals and won the title in 2016. Seven months later, that status was officially confirmed, as the Cavs clinched a spot in the playoffs with 108-91 win over the [Houston Rockets](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/HOU/houston-rockets/). "To come from where we came from and every year continue to take steps in the right direction and positive direction.

Jarrett Allen scored 24 points and had 14 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell added 22 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched a playoff spot for the first time ...

“That’s where we want to be, playing for the chance to make the playoffs or seeding late in the season,” he said. Then they got the vets in to take the next step forward.” ... ... Bickerstaff smiled when asked what he was doing in 1998, when the Cavs last made the postseason without James on their roster. ... F Isaac Okoro did not play in the second half due to left knee soreness. “I told the guys in there, this is what you should just come to expect,” said Mitchell, who has qualified for the playoffs in each of his six NBA seasons. 4 spot — and home-court advantage in the first round — in the Eastern Conference. “That’s crazy that that’s the stat or whatever,” said center Evan Mobley, who was born in 2001. Allen then made four free throws before his dunk pushed the Cavs’ lead to 11. Rockets: With one of the league’s youngest rosters, Houston is a work in progress. I’m proud of him for that.” The Cavs, who made it to four straight Finals with James from 2015-18, are closing in on locking up the No. “He has matured and grown.

The Cavs can clinch their first playoff berth without LeBron James since 1998 with a win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday.

[Caesars Ohio Sportsbook](https://www.cleveland.com/betting/ohio/caesars/) is open for bets now that Ohio sports betting has launched. The Cavs (47-38) are on a three-game win streak heading into Sunday. Cleveland is in the midst of its best season since James’ second exit following the 2017-18 season. “So they’re great lessons for us and tests for us. Being in a position where this opportunity is in front of you and then going out and having to compete and play and earn it, those are things that we haven’t had in the past. “Our focus right now is going out and taking care of business and whatever happens when it happens, we’ll focus on that and make sure that we’re prepared for whatever’s next,” coach J.B. Other sportsbooks in the state include [DraftKings Sportsbook](https://www.cleveland.com/betting/ohio/draftkings/), [FanDuel Ohio Sportsbook](https://www.cleveland.com/betting/ohio/fanduel/) and [Barstool Ohio](https://www.cleveland.com/betting/ohio/barstool). [ 117-98 drubbing of the Washington Wizards at home](https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2023/03/cavs-surpass-last-seasons-win-total-with-117-94-drubbing-of-washington-wizards.html). With a win over the Houston Rockets or a loss by the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland will clinch its first playoff berth without LeBron James since 1998. Tipoff against Houston is set for 6 p.m. “These experiences for our guys are huge. [Isaac Okoro’s game-winning shot shows how far he’s come: ‘Best feeling ever’](https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2023/03/isaac-okoros-game-winning-shot-shows-how-far-hes-come-best-feeling-in-the-world.html) [How the Cavs stole a road win in Brooklyn: Behind the numbers](https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2023/03/how-the-cavs-stole-a-road-win-in-brooklyn-behind-the-numbers.html) [What social media is saying after the Cavs’ 116-114 comeback win over the Nets](https://www.cleveland.com/sports/2023/03/what-social-media-is-saying-after-the-cavs-116-114-comeback-win-over-the-nets.html)

Jarrett Allen recorded his 32nd double-double of the season and helped Cleveland stave off the visiting Houston Rockets 108-91 on Sunday, a victory that ...

Lu Dort put the game away with a layup with 11.2 seconds left as the Thunder prevailed for the ninth time in their past 13 games. Fred VanVleet added 28 points and seven assists for the Raptors, who are 2-1 during a four-game homestand. Shaedon Sharpe scored a career-high 29 points and Nassir Little added his season best of 28 for Portland, which played without Damian Lillard (calf). Franz Wagner collected 19 points and 10 rebounds as Orlando outscored the Nets 58-38 in the paint. Kristaps Porzingis scored 26 points for the Wizards, who have lost five of their past six games. Orlando outscored the Nets 68-49 in the second and third quarters. Bane scored 25 points, while Memphis also got 15 points and eight rebounds apiece from Jaren Jackson Jr. Luka Doncic racked up 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Mavericks, but it might have been a costly outing for numerous reasons. De'Andre Hunter returned after missing Saturday's game with a sore knee and scored 17 points. Morant, in his first start since returning from an eight-game suspension, scored 27 points and had six assists. Evan Mobley also recorded three blocks while posting 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Cavaliers. He tallied two more free throws and a dunk at the 8:06 mark that extended the lead back to double digits at 93-82.

The Cavs expected to make the playoffs. Now, they want something more. "We have that hunger," Donovan Mitchell said.

“We told the guys to enjoy this, but we ain’t done yet,” Bickerstaff said. With six regular-season games left and a playoff appearance, the Cavs must prioritize their habits in this final stretch. On the first West Coast trip when we lost to the “Understanding that we have a bigger goal at stake, not just making the playoffs, not just winning a first round, second round, third round (but) making it all the way, and it’s going to be tough. But we have that hunger, and you see it with this group and on a night-to-night basis, continuing to prepare and continue to play all the way until June.” They have the best defensive rating in the league and a top-10 offensive rating. But in the same token, and I told the guys in there, this is what you just come to expect. “I think, organizationally, this is a big deal to come from where we came from and every year continue to take steps in the right direction in a positive direction,” Bickerstaff said. There is a feeling and mindset around the locker room that they can push for more — even in the playoffs — than just the first round. Overall, the 2021-22 season displayed to Bickerstaff and the team a level they could compete at and the growth of their young core. This is the first time the Cavs have been to the postseason since 2018. [Cleveland Cavaliers](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/cavaliers/) made the postseason without [LeBron James](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/lebron-james-dxRvkEThnxpMbhcr/) on the roster.

Jarrett Allen has a big fourth quarter to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Houston Rockets.

CLEVELAND (AP) — For the first time since LeBron James left them a second time, the Cavaliers are a playoff team again. Jarrett Allen scored 24 points and ...

“That’s where we want to be, playing for the chance to make the playoffs or seeding late in the season,” he said. … F Isaac Okoro did not play in the second half due to left knee soreness. Then they got the vets in to take the next step forward.” … “I told the guys in there, this is what you should just come to expect,” said Mitchell, who has qualified for the playoffs in each of his six NBA seasons. 4 spot — and home-court advantage in the first round — in the Eastern Conference. “That’s crazy that that’s the stat or whatever,” said center Evan Mobley, who was born in 2001.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- To clinch a playoff spot, the Cavaliers beat Houston, 108-91. Watching that Sunday night game is a reminder of how easily the Cavs could ...

The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading back to the NBA playoffs.

If things had gone differently, we may have seen a Cleveland Cavaliers team with LeBron James and Paul George playing together.

"Cleveland was like close to getting me with [LeBron] there. “Cleveland was like close to getting me with [LeBron] there. “I thought I was going to go to Cleveland,” George said.