New month, same Cleveland Cavaliers. In their first game in the month of March, the Cavaliers picked up right where they left of at the end of February. On Sunday, Cleveland beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 133-129, in overtime.
Even though the Cavaliers needed overtime to beat a team with a losing record, they got the job done nonetheless. The win makes Cleveland the first team to reach 50 wins on the season and extended its win streak to 11 games, dating back to Feb. 5.
Most importantly with the postseason in front of the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, Cleveland was able to win while giving Donovan Mitchell the day off. The Cavaliers decided to rest Mitchell two days after scoring 41 points in a big statement making win over the Boston Celtics.
But just as has been the case all season, Cleveland benefited from other players stepping up with one of its stars out of the lineup against the Trail Blazers.
De’Andre Hunter led the way with 32 points and seven rebounds in 32 minutes, the most time he’s logged in a game since the start of the win streak. Hunter’s 32 exceeded his season average for points entering the game of 18.1.
Ty Jerome also played more than usual, scoring 25 points in 36 minutes off the bench. He added five boards and six assists as well. And even for a more reliable contributor, Evan Mobley recorded 20 points with eight rebounds and a block.
Max Strus had 14, Darius Garland 13 and Jarrett Allen posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in only 26 minutes of action.
And even though some may dismiss a win over Portland (27-34), the fact Cleveland was still able to win without its leading scorer lends more credence to those who believe the Cavaliers’ depth is why they will make a run in the postseason.
All signs point to Cleveland winning its 12th straight on Tuesday night when it travels to Chicago to meet the struggling Bulls.
