Cavs Notes: Jarrett Allen, Kenny Atkinson, Darius Garland

March 12, 2025

To the surprise of no one, the Cavaliers sit at No. 1 in the latest round of ESPN power rankings.

They have, after all, won 15 straight for a second time this season, and at 55-10, sport the NBA’s best record. No matter who they put on the court, they’ve found ways to win.

And as coach Kenny Atkinson will tell you, this is a “find-a-way” kind of team with the playoffs right around the bend.

“The Cavaliers are so healthy that coach Kenny Atkinson was able to play 14 players against Milwaukee on Sunday as Cleveland ran its win streak to 14 straight games,” wrote ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “With an eight-game lead for No. 1 in the East with 17 games left to play, the Cavs will have the luxury of being extra cautious with potential injury risks without risking playoff seeding.”

The Cavs are learning lessons, they insist, but the nice thing is they are doing it while winning. “That’s just how we are. We have confidence in each other, and I think that propels us forward individually,” center Jarrett Allen said. “We can adjust to anything and fight through any deficit or any adversity ahead.”
For the record, Allen reiterated that he would like to play all 82 games. “That’s a nice number,” he said after Tuesday’s comeback win over the Nets.
Atkinson had high praise for Darius Garland after Garland went for 18 points in the fourth quarter to spur the rally (scoring 30 overall). “He’s Clutch Player of the Year,” Atkinson said. “I mean, he just does it in the fourth quarter. He’s done it all year. … It’s a different mentality. He wants to take over the game. He wants to just prove that he’s the best player on the court, and he continually does.”
Atkinson added that the Cavs’ focus remains on building habits for the playoffs. They claimed the Central Division title with Tuesday’s win. “We’ll put a banner up in our practice facility, (Koby Altman) just told me, so that’s pretty cool,” Atkinson said. “We want bigger things, and we all know we want the playoffs, but I think we’ll look back on this and say it’s a pretty incredible accomplishment.”