The Cleveland Cavaliers look to extend their strong performance against Western Conference teams on Friday night when they wrap up a four-game road trip against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Cavaliers have been on fire, winning their eighth consecutive game by at least 10 points, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 122-100 on Tuesday. This win improved Cleveland’s record to a perfect 9-0 against Western Conference teams, with an impressive average margin of victory of 16.3 points per game.
Despite these strong numbers, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson is focused on the bigger picture.
“We know it’s about playoff performance,” Atkinson said. “That’s what it comes down to. You don’t want to be that team that everyone says, ‘Oh, they’re a good regular-season team.’ We have a day-to-day process that we are engaged in. That’s part of the humility.
“Donovan (Mitchell) says it all the time. Our guys say it all the time,” Atkinson continued. “We haven’t done anything yet. It’s great. Our record is great. You have to prove it when it really counts. We’re anxious to get there.”
Jarrett Allen had a standout performance, scoring a season-high 27 points on 12-of-14 shooting and grabbing 14 rebounds in the win over the Lakers.
“Star of the game without a doubt,” Atkinson said of Allen. “Did it on both ends. Super high energy. He is our underappreciated star.”
Donovan Mitchell added 26 points, while Evan Mobley contributed 20 points and six rebounds in the dominant win.
On Thursday, Mobley was named the franchise’s first-ever NBA Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for games played in December.
Max Strus is starting to find his rhythm after missing the first 27 games of the season with an ankle injury. He scored 15 points, including four 3-pointers, against the Lakers.
Darius Garland also had a strong performance with 14 points and a season-high 14 assists.
As the Cavaliers look to finish their road trip with a perfect record, the Mavericks are coming off a three-game losing streak, finishing their own four-game road trip with a loss. Dallas played without their superstar Luka Dončić, who is expected to miss at least a month due to a calf injury.
Quentin Grimes stepped up, scoring 17 points off the bench in Dallas’ 110-99 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Klay Thompson (illness) returned from one-game absences to score 16 points each in the loss to the Rockets. However, Thompson expressed frustration with his five turnovers in the game.
“And that’s on me,” Thompson said. “I can’t have five turnovers. I had some uncharacteristic turnovers.
“I’ve got to be more sure with the ball, but I’ll be better in a couple of days against a really good team.”
Dallas forward P.J. Washington suffered a right knee sprain during the first half against the Rockets and did not return after halftime.
The Mavericks are already shorthanded, as forward Naji Marshall is serving the final game of a four-game suspension for his involvement in a recent altercation with the Phoenix Suns.
