SAN FRANCISCO — The Cavs are headed back to the playoffs.
Officially.
Cleveland capped its three-game road trip with a 118-111 win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night inside Chase Center. The victory solidifies a fourth consecutive playoff appearance — all coinciding with Donovan Mitchell’s arrival from Utah in the summer of 2022, a trade that altered the franchise’s trajectory and accelerated its timeline.
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On Thursday night, Mitchell’s fingerprints were all over the clincher.
And he got plenty of support too, showing how far the Cavs have come since that blockbuster trade four years ago.
It didn’t come easy Thursday. Not much has during this chaotic regular season.
Despite the Cavs leading by seven at halftime, the Warriors opened the second half on a 7-0 push to pull back even — the game’s fifth tie of the night at that point.
Cleveland responded immediately with an 11-2 run that allowed it to briefly regain control and eventually build a double-digit advantage. But Golden State kept cutting into that as the third quarter came to a close
It was only a four-point Cavaliers lead going into the fourth.
In the early minutes of the closing period, Cleveland lost its nerve — a temporary mental collapse that began with a dustup between Golden State’s Draymond Green and Cavaliers reserve Dennis Schroder.
After Schroder was called for a flagrant foul 1 because of unnecessary contact with his foot on a driving layup attempt by LJ Cryer, Green shoved Schroder, causing the former teammates to go nose-to-nose.
That heated incident sparked a lively 11-1 Golden State run — a stretch in which the Warriors claimed just their second lead of the second half.
Then with 7:57 remaining, Atkinson, who had received a technical for arguing with the officials a few minutes earlier, called timeout.
The Cavs needed to regroup. They needed to settle down. Needed to regain their composure.
Out of the stoppage, Cleveland ripped off four straight points, pulling back even.
The two teams went back and forth for the final seven minutes, with the game remaining a two-possession game until there were just 15 seconds left and the Cavs finally putting pesky Golden State away for good, punching their springtime ticket.
Mitchell, who has never missed the postseason in his career, scored a team-high 25 points.
Max Strus, who made multiple back-breaking triples in the closing minutes, added 24 points on 9 of 14 shooting and 6 of 10 from 3-point range. James Harden chipped in with 19 points and five assists. Jarrett Allen, despite being on a minute limit because of an achy right knee, recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Evan Mobley and Schroder finished with 12 points apiece.
The Warriors — without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Al Horford — had five players in double figures. Brandon Podziemski and Gui Santos led the way with 25 points apiece.
On the heels of last year’s postseason flameout, the Cavs entered with lofty expectations. They were not only considered one of the Eastern Conference favorites, but among a select group capable of competing for an NBA championship.
The first step in that title quest is now complete. That celebration can begin.
And then there are five games left to figure out where they will be seeded and who the first-round opponent will be.
Up next
The Cavs will return home to host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday evening. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.