NBA

Cavaliers are 14-1 in their last 15 games, tied for their best record in franchise history over a 15-game span

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James Foglio
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Updated6 hours ago on April 29, 2024

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Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 14-1 in their last 15 games of the 2023-24 NBA season — tied for their best record in franchise history over a 15-game span. It’s also Cleveland’s best record over a 15-game span without LeBron James.

The Cavaliers’ only loss during this 15-game stretch was a 126-116 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Cleveland is currently 32-16 and ranks second in the Eastern Conference standings below the Boston Celtics (38-12).

Note that Cleveland went 19-1 with James over a 20-game span from Nov. 3, 2008-Dec. 12, 2008.

Per a few NBA betting sites, the Cavaliers hold 12th-ranked odds to win this season’s championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Miami Heat and New York Knicks.


In Cleveland’s 136-110 win over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points on 11-of-20 (55%) shooting from the field and 5-of-11 (45.5%) from 3-point range.

Jarrett Allen recorded 19 points and seven rebounds. Max Strus added 22 en route to Cleveland outscoring the Kings 30-18 in the final frame for its sixth straight win and 14th in 15 games.

Cleveland shot 51-of-88 (58%) from the field and 23-of-41 (56.1%) beyond the arc. The Cavaliers’ 23 3-pointers were a season high. It was their ninth straight win at home and eighth in nine against Western Conference teams.

Cleveland Cavaliers now No. 2 overall in Eastern Conference, are an NBA-best 19-4 since Dec. 16

Moreover, the Cavs are an NBA-best 19-4 since Dec. 16 — when starters Darius Garland (broken jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee surgery) were ruled out indefinitely with injuries. Both stars missed about six weeks.

“It’s good, but it’s February,” Mitchell said. “We’re just going to try to continue to play the way we’ve been playing. We’re being cohesive as a group. And We’re playing great, but the biggest thing is: How do we keep going?

“Everybody has risen to the occasion when their number has been called. Heading into the All-Star break we’re playing good ball, and we want to keep it going.”


The Cavaliers haven’t advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since LeBron’s last season with the franchise — when the club went to the 2018 NBA Finals and was swept by the Golden State Warriors.

Cleveland qualified for the playoffs last season for the first time without James since the team drafted him out of high school in 2003. However, the Cavs lost in five games to New York in their first-round series.

This could be the year when the Eastern Conference contender reaches at least the conference semifinals.

Following Cleveland’s win over Sacramento, the Cavs are now scheduled for a three-game road trip at Washington on Wednesday, at Brooklyn on Thursday, and at Toronto this Saturday.