The Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 54-10 Sunday night in a 112-100 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The game was a lot closer than the final score indicated, but after a tightly contested contest, the Cavs finally pulled away in the fourth quarter.
The game proved exactly why Cleveland will be such a tough out in the playoffs. Their two All-Star guards were both underwhelming, they didn't have a 20-point scorer, and they still managed to win the game handedly.
This is a team that is so well-balanced and connected that they're nearly impossible to beat.
They have so much depth that even when four out of five starters have relatively bad nights like Sunday, they're still incredibly difficult to beat.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) shoots the ball against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) in the third quarter of game three of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. David Richard-USA TODAY Sports David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
During head coach Kenny Atkinson's postgame media availability, he was asked about the depth and named it "the reason we have the best record in the league."
In the playoffs when teams are tightening their rotations, it is a luxury to even have six high-impact players, but the Cavs will have eight.
Atkinson was then asked about not having an MVP candidate and he responded by lobbying for his former All-NBA guard to win it.
He mentioned how dominant Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been this season, but stated that he believes Mitchell hasn't been too far off.
The six-time All-Star hasn't been putting up eye popping numbers this season, but it's usually a guarantee that the best player from the best team will at least be in the discussion for MVP.
However, Mitchell has been unable to generate much buzz because of how unselfish and balanced the Cleveland offense is.
Although his output hasn't been at the level he's used to, Mitchell is having one of the most efficient seasons of his career which is a testament the spacing created by Atkinson's offense.
If he's able to sustain his shooting splits and continue to slay dragons like the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder, he should be able to at least enter the MVP conversation before year's end.
Related: Cavs Win 12th Straight Game, Become First Team to Clinch Playoff Berth
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This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 9:11 AM.
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