Cavs News: Mitchell crushes Spurs, East winning, Cavs confidence

The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the league’s best records, the league’s top defense and a fully healthy rotation. Playing an injured team at the bottom of the standings with the league’s worst defense should be a piece of cake. Yet the NBA is unpredictable, and even the best teams can lose to the worst ones. The Cavs did, losing to the Spurs in San Antonio.

They got them back in Cleveland, winning 117-109 for their seventh-straight victory, although the Spurs certainly did their part to stick around last night. Six players scored in double figures for the Spurs as they hung around just out of reach for most of the games, but in the end they didn’t have a chance because Donovan Mitchell was determined to shut the door.

After a series of inefficient scoring nights as his groin injury healed, Mitchell looked like his usual explosive self against the Spurs. He dropped 41 points on just 28 scoring possessions, finishing a game-high +17 as he carved up the Spurs again and again. On a night when the rest of the Cavs shot just 3-of-15 from deep Mitchell carried them to the win.

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The Cavaliers have won seven-straight games, the second time this season they have ripped off that many consecutive wins (they won eighth-straight at the start of the season). That run of dominance has resulted in the Cavs…passing Brooklyn. That’s it. The top of the East continues to win, with the 76ers on a three-game streak, the Celtics on a four-gamer, and the Bucks winners of 10 straight. The East playoffs are going to be a bloodbath.

The Cavs were quiet at the NBA Trade Deadline, and on the website yesterday Dan Gilinsky makes the case for why the team standing pat should give the entire roster more confidence. The front office believes in this group, which should help reinforce their belief in themselves.

NBA news

After a light Super Bowl Sunday it was a busy night in the NBA on Monday. The middle of the East struggled, with the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls all losing. The New York Knicks won comfortably over the Brooklyn Nets and are in good position to push up into that coveted “Top 6” while the 76ers stayed a game up on the Cavs in their version of a tune-up game against the Houston Rockets.

The West continued to stay clumped and crazy, with the New Orleans Pelicans eeking out a 103-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, while the Minnesota Timberwolves did the same against the new-look Dallas Mavericks. The Portland Trail Blazers dropped the Los Angeles Lakers and put another nail in the coffin of the Lakers’ playoff hopes, which is nearly complete.

Coming up: There’s just one game left before the All-Star Break – Wednesday’s showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers.