The Eastern Conference’s top half currently looks stacked as most of the teams are in the race for that top-5 seed. Although the Celtics are highly likely to finish on top, the end-placed Cavaliers and 8th-placed Magic are only separated by 5 games. New York Knicks have also been playing with spark, and are favourites of many to make it deep in the play-offs. Stephen A. Smith, who picks the Knicks as his favourite, has another team on his list after yesterday’s game.
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On Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers registered an incredible 121-119 win over the red-hot Dallas Mavericks to put some daylight between themselves and the Milwaukee Bucks in the race for second spot in Eastern Conference standings. With two seconds left in the game, the Cavaliers gave up a bucket to P.J. Washington and trailed by one point. With no time left, guard Max Strus lobbed a Hail Mary three-pointer from inside the halfway line and banked it to win the game for his team. It was the second-longest game-winning shot in NBA history.
MAX STRUS GAME WINNER MY GOODNESS
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 28, 2024
On Wednesday’s episode of First Take, analyst Stephen A. Smith gave the Cavaliers their flowers and warned the rest of the Eastern Conference that they are a legitimate threat. He said,
“Cleveland looks like a bonafide threat within the Eastern Conference with everyone but Boston.”
Claiming that Boston can beat anyone if they ‘get hot’ SAS still went with Knicks.
“I still believe New York Knicks come back healthy, and that’s a huge if, they can take them, just like they did last year. But it doesn’t take away what I’m seeing right now. Credit where credit is due to the Cleveland Cavaliers.”
The Cavaliers weren’t expected to make much noise in the top-heavy Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks were all expected to be better than Cleveland. However, they are second in the Eastern Conference standings well over halfway through the regular season, trailing only runaway leaders Celtics.
The Cavaliers boast the second-best defense in the league, which makes them a dark horse to go deep into the playoffs. Teams underestimating Cleveland’s title credentials are making a fatal error.
The Cavaliers’ record against the East’s finest
The Cavaliers are 38-20 and experts at stomping underwhelming teams. They are 24-3 against teams below .500. However, their record against teams with a winning record is concerning.
The Cavaliers are 13-17 against teams above .500 this season. Their record against teams around them is uninspiring. They are 0-2 against the Celtics, 1-2 against the 76ers, 0-2 against the Indiana Pacers, 2-2 against the Bucks, 1-1 against the Knicks, 2-2 against the Orlando Magic and 1-1 against the Heat. They are 7-12 against teams with winning records in the Eastern Conference.
While they can match up and beat anyone on their day, their regular season record suggests they have difficulties facing good teams. That could change in a playoff atmosphere with home-court advantage. However, the onus is on the Cavaliers to prove they aren’t flat-track bullies by venturing deep into the playoffs.
