CLEVELAND, Ohio — There were many emotions leading up to Saturday’s contest between the Cavs and Brooklyn Nets. But it was also business for the Cavs in their 105-100 win, making them the 12th team in NBA history to begin a season 11-0.
Kenny Atkinson has led the Cavs to the best start in franchise history, but the last two games he wanted a little more than the rest.
On Friday, he faced off against Golden State and Steve Kerr, the team and coach that Atkinson credits heavily for his development to get to where he is. On Saturday, he took on the team that gave him his first shot at being a head coach.
With his new team, Atkinson beat them both.
“Last night I was like, man, I wanted that game because you’ve had such great experience with the team you were with, but you also want to beat ‘em,” Atkinson said ahead of the matchup with the Nets. “It’s the same with the Nets. Wonderful experience I had, but there’s always a little something extra when you’ve been with a team before. So a little more awareness, a little more tension. You want it a little more.”
Again, on Saturday, the Cavs got off to a fast start, playing for their coach and to continue their unbeaten streak.
Donovan Mitchell scored 15 of his 22 points in the first quarter and the Cavs shot 75% from the field in the opening frame. Evan Mobley was perfect at halftime with 13 points, shooting 5 of 5 from the field while corralling 10 rebounds and recording his first double-double in a single half since Nov. 28, 2023, in the first half versus the Atlanta Hawks.
But the second period saw the Nets, who entered Saturday with the second slowest pace in the NBA, dictate the speed of the game and claw back from a 15-point deficit, as the Cavs led by just two at halftime.
The Cavs have expressed their desire to come out in the second half with the same energy they start the games with. Especially after Friday’s game where they were lackadaisical with a 41-point halftime lead, the Cavs and Atkinson had the opportunity on Saturday to correct that mistake with it still on their minds.
“I don’t know what our third quarter stats say, [but] I think that’s our next hurdle,” Atkinson said at his pregame press conference Saturday. “Obviously (Friday) night was not a good one. I know this team has struggled in the third quarter. It seems to me the great teams are third quarter teams too, so we got to do a better job coming out of the locker room.”
Even with the extra emphasis, the Cavs saw the Nets go on a 30-5 run and take a double-digit lead in the third quarter. But when trailing by 12 points entering the final frame, the Cavs roared back behind the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse crowd.
Although they had plenty to be disgruntled with outside of their first quarter performance, the Cavs wouldn’t go away quietly.
The Cavs have proven themselves to be starters and finishers with players who can step up when the game comes down to the wire.
Atkinson went to Mobley as the center for the entire fourth quarter as the 7-footer forced more problems both offensively and defensively than Jarrett Allen had to that point. Mobley finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds, four steals and one block. He was 10 of 11 from the field.
In a game that saw both teams take double-digit leads, it came down to the final six minutes.
It started with Ty Jerome, who finished with four points, five assists and two steals. Jerome got a stop on Dennis Schroder, forcing a shot clock violation that led to a Caris LeVert layup. On the next possession, Jerome forced another turnover that led to a LeVert dunk that cut the Nets lead to two.
Then the Cavs turned to their most reliable star to close the game. Darius Garland finished with 20 points and had eight in the final five minutes.
The Cavs’ 11th win was finished with an exclamation point by Mobley, blocking the final attempt by the Nets.
Up Next
The Cavs now take their 11-0 streak on the road to face the Chicago Bulls on Monday with tipoff set at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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