CLEVELAND – The Cavaliers will put their perfect start on the line in the perfect place.
“Boston Garden,” said Cleveland first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, who has yet to lose in his new job. “What's better than that?”
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As NBA games in November go, not much.
Unbeaten through 15 games after defeating Charlotte 128-114 on Sunday night, Cleveland will try to become just the second team to go 16-0 on Tuesday when it visits the defending champion Celtics, who bounced the Cavs from the playoffs last season.
“It’s great for the NBA, right?" said Atkinson, the only coach to win his 15 games with a new team. "Everybody is going to be watching, and I know our guys are anxious. I know they remember last year. We’re going well. They’re going well. It’s great for the league. Great for our franchise. We’re excited.”
Despite resting All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell against the Hornets, the Cavs followed a familiar formula in joining the Golden State Warriors (2015-16), Houston Rockets (1993-94) and Washington Capitols (1948-49) as the only teams to open 15-0.
Darius Garland scored 25 points, Ty Jerome added 24 while starting in Mitchell's spot and the Cavs got a combined 44 points and 26 rebounds from forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen to hold off the Hornets.
They also extended the longest winning streak in team history and have given Cleveland sports fans something to be excited about in the midst of a football season that crashed long ago for the Browns.
“It's incredible,” Allen said of how the city is embracing the Cavs. “Everyone is showing tons of energy, all over the city. It's incredible how Cleveland has adopted us. They come to every game, yelling for every thing. The city of Cleveland has our backs.”
As has been the case in almost every game, the Cavs got positive minutes and moments from everyone Atkinson put on the floor. They also overcame some adversity as both Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade were forced out in the second half with ankle injuries.
Wade, who has made seven starts, left Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in a walking boot. Atkinson doesn't know if Wade or Okoro will be available against the Celtics, but Mitchell should be back after missing his first game — a planned absence.
Mitchell didn't play in the final two games of last year's Eastern Conference semifinals, when the Cavs were eliminated in five games by the Celtics, who went on to win another championship.
Allen missed that entire Boston series with a broken rib and said he and his teammates are looking forward to seeing how they measure up with the Celtics now.
“It’s a rematch,” Allen said. “I know they didn’t have some players. And we didn’t have me, so I want to try and beat them and test where we are with them.”
Atkinson feels the same way. If the Cavs have title aspirations, this a chance for them to see if they're real.
“It's going to be a great test for us,” he said. "They obviously play a different style, five-out with five shooters so it's going to be a real good test for us. We're at that point right now — 15-0 and let's test ourselves against the best and see where we stand and see where we're going to make adjustments or not make adjustments.
"It actually comes at the perfect time."
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