Kenny Atkinson is excited by the chance to take his unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers team to Boston tomorrow night in what is the ultimate test of their credentials.
The Cavs moved to 15-0, tied for the second-best start in NBA history, after a 128-114 win against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night.
The @cavs backcourt combines for 49 PTS and 20 AST en route to 15-0!
🔥 Darius Garland: 25p, 12a, 5r
🔥 Ty Jerome: 24p, 8a, 4 threes pic.twitter.com/d8KQ7wXr0j— NBA (@NBA) November 18, 2024
The only team with a better record in history is the Golden State Warriors, who went 24-0 to start the 2015-16 season.
Next up for Cleveland is a trip to NBA defending champions, the Boston Celtics, the team that ended their playoff hopes last season.
First-year coach Atkinson said: “Boston Garden. What’s better than that?
“It’s great for the NBA, right? Everybody is going to be watching, and I know our guys are anxious. I know they remember last year. We’re going well. They’re going well. It’s great for the league. Great for our franchise. We’re excited.”
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Chance for a statement win
A Cleveland win would be a statement to the rest of the NBA.
“It’s going to be a great test for us,” Atkinson added. “They obviously play a different style, five-out with five shooters, so it’s going to be a real good test for us. We’re at that point right now – 15-0 and let’s test ourselves against the best and see where we stand and see where we’re going to make adjustments or not make adjustments.
“It actually comes at the perfect time.”
The Cavs will have Donovan Mitchell back after he was rested for the Hornets game.
In his place, Ty Jerome starred with a career-high 24 points, Darius Garland added 25 and Jarrett Allen had 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Cleveland in love with Cavaliers
With the Cleveland Browns sitting at the bottom of the AFC North with a 2-8 record, the city’s sports fans are gripped by their basketball team, and the players are embracing the love.
Allen said: “It’s incredible. Everyone is showing tons of energy, all over the city. It’s incredible how Cleveland has adopted us. They come to every game, yelling for everything. The city of Cleveland has our backs.”
