The Cleveland Cavaliers are headed to the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
Cleveland punched its postseason ticket on Thursday after defeating the Golden State Warriors 118-111 on the road.
Updated Eastern Conference Standings
Detroit Pistons (56-21)
Boston Celtics (51-25)
New York Knicks (49-28)
Cleveland Cavaliers (48-29)
Atlanta Hawks (44-33)
Philadelphia 76ers (42-34)
Toronto Raptors (42-34)
Charlotte Hornets (41-36)
Orlando Magic (40-36)
Miami Heat (40-37)
This season didn’t start in the way the Cavs were counting on after winning 64 games in 2024-25. They got off to a slow start due in part to injuries, particularly to Darius Garland and Max Strus.
Garland’s injuries, in particular, left a huge void in the offense because it forced Donovan Mitchell to take on more point guard responsibilities.
A Jan. 12 loss to the Utah Jazz dropped Cleveland’s record to 22-19, seventh in the Eastern Conference. The team did figure some things out immediately after that, winning seven of nine games, before leading up to the biggest move of its season.
President of basketball operations Koby Altman swung a blockbuster deal on Feb. 4 to acquire James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers for Garland and a second-round draft pick.
The addition of Harden put everyone, particularly Mitchell, back in their regular roles. Cleveland’s offense has the third-best rating in the NBA since Harden’s first game on Feb. 7.
Cleveland has high-profile wins over the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons since Harden entered the fray.
Given how things ended last year in the playoffs for the Cavs after a stellar regular season, this team will have a lot to prove in the postseason. But they were able to clear the first hurdle by getting in the field.