Not Mitchell? No problem for cavs, since they tie the team record | News, sports, jobs

The Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, on the left, who did not dress for the game, talks to his teammate Darius Garland (10) in the second half of a NBA basketball match against the Brooklyn Nets, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogocki)

Cleveland (AP) -The victories and achievements continue to accumulate for the leaders’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. They have been so frequent that players are having difficulty tracking.

“What did we do? Oh, we secure the central division “, The Jarrett Allen Center said, laughing. “That is something. We had fun tonight. We still celebrate little things. “

There was nothing little over the 109-104 victory of the Cavaliers over Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Cleveland tied its franchise record for consecutive victories with 15, after establishing the brand in the first 15 games of the season, and is tied in the fifth best start in the NBA history with 55-10.

Even with the escort of stars Donovan Mitchell.

The All-Star owner, Darius Garland, who scored 18 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, said Mitchell’s message was concise during the return.

“Shoot the ball” said. “Appointment, final appointment.”

After having spent his entire career with Cleveland, Garland looked for the president of team basketball operations, Koby Altman in the locker room. The crown of the last division of the Cavaliers occurred before being recruited in 2019.

“I asked Koby if there was going to be a banner at the practice center,” Garland said. “We do not take regular seasonal games lightly, but the reality is that we have not yet won anything. The main thing, our main approach is to try to stay healthy. ”

The injuries to Mitchell and Allen during the 2024 playoffs were a crushing blow for Cleveland in their five -game defeat against the eventual Boston champion in the semifinals of the East.

The first -year coach Kenny Atkinson emphasized that Mitchell’s current ailment is not serious and plans to continue giving his key night players as the regular season ends.

“To win 15 consecutive games at this juncture, there is fatigue, so it is really a great achievement.” Atkinson said. “After doing it our first 15 games, it is remarkable. We want bigger things, but we will look back and say that it is a fairly large achievement. “

The next in the Cavaliers verification list is to block seed number 1 in the east. They are eight games in front of the Celtics of the second place with 17 remaining and have a two -game advantage over Oklahoma City, leader in the west, for the best NBA record.

The advantage of the local Cleveland court has been overwhelming in Rocket Arena, where it also has the best mark in the league with 30-4.

“His trust and arrogance with which they are playing, you can see it in closed games.” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernández said. “They are very well trained and it is fun to see them play. Help the NBA business. “