Story by
Cavs ready for NBA playoffs | Cleveland Cavaliers clinch No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference
- Story by
- Cavs ready for NBA playoffs | Cleveland Cavaliers clinch No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference
The Cavaliers have clinched the No. 1 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference .
Cleveland secured its place atop the East on Tuesday night, when the Cavs defeated the Chicago Bulls 135-113 at Rocket Arena.
Advertisement
"You've got to take a breath and celebrate and celebrate with your coaches. We didn't celebrate like we won a championship, but we celebrated in [the locker room] — a lot of screaming and hooting and hollering. It was great," said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson , who planned to open a bottle of Burgundy wine when he returned to his Cleveland Heights home.
The victory ensured the Cavs (63-16) cannot be caught by the second-place Boston Celtics (59-20) before the regular season ends April 13. And the Cavs got the job done without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell , who sat out against the shorthanded Bulls (36-43) with a sprained left ankle , an injury Atkinson labeled "mild."
"Tonight was a relief," Atkinson said. "Now we can move forward and make plans and all that."
The plans could include the Cavs resting key players in their final three regular-season games, Atkinson said.
Advertisement
Either way, the Cavs have earned home-court advantage through the Eastern Conference Finals, provided they advance far enough to take advantage of it. They could very well face the defending champion Celtics with a trip to the NBA Finals at stake. Last season, the Cavs were eliminated from the playoffs with a 4-1 series loss to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"With our fans and our home-court advantage, I mean, it's a pretty big deal," Atkinson said. "We know it's gonna come down to that, especially against the really good teams. So I think it's another thing to celebrate."
Donovan Mitchell news: Cavs star's strategic sacrifice is paying off for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Apr 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) celebrates his three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
Atkinson said the Cavs have exceeded his expectations this season, but point guard Darius Garland and forward Evan Mobley insisted they expected Cleveland to earn either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. The Cavs appeared in the playoffs in each of the past two seasons as a No. 4 seed.
Advertisement
"I knew that we were going to be in one of these spots, either one or two," Garland said. "I knew we were going to be in the top two for sure, just with the camaraderie we had, and I just seen the depth and all the pieces that we had early, so, I mean, I expected to be here, to be honest with you."
"How we started the season as well and how we played together, that's the biggest thing that really showed ... we could be a top contender and win it," Mobley said. "And I feel like we all believe that we've been believing that since really the start of the season. So now it's time to go prove it."
Garland and Mobley led the Cavs with 28 and 21 points against the Bulls, respectively.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) shoots over Chicago Bulls forward Zach Collins (12) on April 8, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Cavs earned the East's top playoff seed for the fourth time in club history and the first time since the 2015-16 season, when the franchise, led by Akron native LeBron James , won its only NBA title.
Advertisement
"It's hard to win 63 games in this league. It's hard to be the first seed," Atkinson said. "We all know that. So great accomplishment. Obviously, we are hungry for more."
Although the Cavs gained home-court advantage through the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016 with a 57-25 record, they didn't possess it in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors , who went 73-9 in 2015-16 and still hold the record for the best regular season in league history. Nevertheless, the Cavs won Game 7 at Golden State to end a nearly 52-year title drought among Cleveland's major professional sports teams.
Should the Cavs advance to the NBA Finals in June, they would not have home-court advantage against the Oklahoma City Thunder (65-14), unless Cleveland surprisingly surpasses OKC for the NBA's best record before the regular season ends.
The Cavs would have home-court advantage in the Finals against any other team from the Western Conference.
Advertisement
Cavs roster move: Cleveland Cavaliers sign former first-round draft pick Chuma Okeke
Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during a game against the Chicago Bulls on April 8, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
In Atkinson's first season at the helm in Cleveland , the 2024-25 Cavs enjoyed winning streaks of 15 and 16 games. They reached the 60-win plateau on March 31.
Only two other teams in Cavs history have reached 60 regular-season wins — 66-16 in 2008-09 and 61-21 in 2009-10. The Cavs earned the East's top playoff seed in both of those seasons.
The Cavs were the first NBA team this season to secure a playoff spot on March 5. They clinched the Central Division title on March 11.
The Cavs will open the postseason against whichever team emerges from the NBA Play-In Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the East. The Bulls, Atlanta Hawks , Orlando Magic and Miami Heat are the possibilities.
Advertisement
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs clinch No. 1 playoff seed in East, holding off NBA champ Celtics
