CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The wait is over.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are headed back to the NBA playoffs.
The Cavs secured their first post season berth since the 2017-18 season with a 108-91 win over the Houston Rockets Sunday evening at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Here’s a look Beyond the Box Score from the clincher, win No. 48.
1. After the fifth season post LeBron James, the Cavs are back in the playoffs!
2. The mood after Sunday's win over Houston was more of a box being checked off rather than an unbridled celebration. “We told the guys to enjoy this, but we ain't done yet,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “And I think that's the mindset we got to continue to have. We're still on the road of this process and we got to keep taking a step by step until we get to where we want to be.” Donovan Mitchell, who has yet to miss the playoffs in his career, expected after being traded to Cleveland the streak would continue. “I don't want to downplay the moment, but in the same token, and I told the guys in there, this is what you just come to expect,” Mitchell said. “This, you made your first one. Appreciate and enjoy it. Celebrate it for the city, for the organization, for your individual guys who have made it.” Evan Mobley stayed on message. “It means a lot,” Mobley said. “I mean, first playoffs feels good, excited to play. We still got work to do.”
3. The Cavs clinched their first NBA playoff berth without LeBron James on the roster since the 1997-98 season. “Yeah, that's crazy that that's the stat or whatever,” Mobley said, “but I don't know. I'm just here trying to win the most I can and I guess that's a big deal for a lot of people. I've only been here two years, so I'm just trying to get to play as much as I can and win as much as I can.”
4. The 48th win of the season marks the most games won is a season without James on the roster dating back to the 1992-93 team that won 54.
5. Give Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman his flowers. He built a contender for fans to enjoy that isn’t just a one hit wonder.
6. What appeared to be a blowout in the making got tight in the second half thanks to a strong third quarter from the Rockets. Houston used a 37-25 quarter to trim a once 20-point led to five with 12 minutes remaining, 85-80, but Cleveland held the Rockets to just 11 in the final quarter to close out the game. “I think it's just a mindset,” Mitchell said. “I think obviously our defense is the key of it. We're finding different things offensively, different guys contributing… There's a lot of talent on this team outside of myself and Darius, and you're seeing it in our fourth quarters. It's not just him and me, it's, it's Jay, it's Cedi, it's Caris, it's against Boston. There's so many different things and that's what will help us in the postseason.”
7. Mobley was a beast Sunday evening. On one possession Mobley collected three consecutive offensive rebounds before dunking the third home. Mobley finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three blocks and a steal.
8. Jarrett Allen had the block of the night with 9:46 remaining in the fourth when he sent Tari Eason away at the rim with the Cavs up 87-82. “It was a heck of a play,” Bickerstaff said. “Eason had some really nice finishes through contact prior and Jarret was not going to be denied. He understands just how important he is to us anchoring our defense and he knows how his play can change a game.” Moments later, Allen blocked another shot. “That's the game,” Allen said. “Deciding moments right there. Evan, getting those three offensive rebounds and then getting the put back dunk. That's huge. That was a momentum shift. And my block, I tried to do the same. I couldn't match the level of what Evan did, but I hope I got close. But just moments, those get the crowd into it and that's what playoffs are all about.” He finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and three blocks.
9. Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points and pulled down five rebounds in the win.
10. Caris LeVert restored order by burying a corner three off a feed from Garland, who tripped and took Jalen Green to the floor with him, then coming up with a steal by swiping the ball from Alperen Sengun near midcourt and laying it in to put the Cavs up 102-86 with 4:20 remaining. LeVert, who finished with 10 points has scored 10-plus points in eight straight games, and he has a steal now in 11 consecutive games.
11. Darius Garland beat the first quarter buzzer with a beautiful step-back jumper to give the Cavs a 33-22 lead after one. Garland finished with 17 points, four rebounds and eight assists.
12. Forward Isaac Okoro sat out the second half due to left knee soreness. Okoro scored four points and pulled down a rebound in just under nine minutes. “He's been battling through it, but tonight it just started acting up and he tried to go back in and when he went back in it was just too much,” Bickerstaff said. “So we just wanted to do the smart thing and always protect him.”