Watching or attending a sporting event is fun. But when you can add a rivalry on top of the sporting event, it goes to an extra level. When there’s animosity between the two competitors, it adds an extra level of intensity. Given the way the season ended, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a new rivalry.
Even if two rivalries have similar events that serve as the spark, they’re still not the same. That’s why I like to use the saying “No two rivalries are exactly the same.”
The new rival swept the regular season series (4 games) against the Cavaliers. Being that the Cavs got swept, you wouldn’t think that there are grounds for a rivalry to form. But if you go back and look at the point margins in each of the four games, they got smaller and smaller. The difference in the first game was 10 (103-93). The difference in the second game was 6 (125-119). The difference in the third game was 4 (118-114). The difference in the fourth game was also 4 (112-108).
So which team am I talking about? The Philadelphia 76ers. That’s right! Another rivalry between Ohio and Pennsylvania.
After how the 2021-22 season ended, the Cavs have a new rivalry with the Sixers.
As stated above, the 76ers won all 4 games against the Cavs. However, I still believe that a rivalry is forming. One could make an argument that I’m putting too much stock into the regular season series. But, if you watch the four games between the Sixers and Cavs, the intensity and physicality went up in each game.
I was at the last game between the 76ers and Cavaliers, which resulted again in a close loss for Cleveland. Cleveland was able to open up a pretty sizable lead, however, the 76ers are no slouch as they’ve got two superstars in James Harden and Joel Embiid (an MVP favorite). Thus the 76ers were able to close the gap.
As the game went on, you could just feel the pressure and intensity increasing. Unsurprisingly, the crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse got more and more into the game. In correspondence with the amplification of the physicality and intensity, the animosity increased. This was especially true in the waning seconds.
Darius Garland went up for a potential game-winning shot against Embiid. On the play, Garland was clearly fouled but nothing was called (although the NBA would come out later and say that Darius was fouled). I think part of the reason why nothing was called is because the refs put away their whistles and let the players play. But I think it’s also because Embiid gets superstar/MVP treatment.
As long as the 76ers have Embiid and Harden, they’ll continue to be a perennial power in the Eastern Conference and the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to have a good young core with Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. They’re going to want to build on their play-in tournament appearance next season and actually make the playoffs; that’d be similar to what the Memphis Grizzlies did this season.
Part of the reason Philadelphia was able to become the perennial power that they are now is because Joel Embiid turned into the superstar that we know him to be now. That made it easier for them to go out and trade for James Harden. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers don’t have that luxury. They have some really nice young players in Garland, Evan Mobley, and Allen, but, none of them are star players just yet. Yes, Garland and Allen made the All-Star game this season. However, 1 All-Star game appearance doesn’t make you an All-Star caliber player just yet.
Even still, there’s a certain guard out in Salt Lake City, Utah who seemingly might want out after this season if the Utah Jazz fail to make noise in the playoffs again this season. Imagine if he came to Cleveland and paired up with Garland in the backcourt along with Mobley and Allen in the frontcourt.
If Donovan Mitchell were to be traded to the Cavaliers, it would take the rivalry with the 76ers to a whole new level!
Even if that doesn’t happen, and the possibility is undoubtedly a longshot, I think that this rivalry between the Cavs and Sixers is going to be one to watch in the years to come.