Cavaliers React to Clinching No. 1 Seed

The Cleveland Cavaliers secured the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs on April 8.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the third quarter of a game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich., on Feb. 5, 2025. Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

Two winning streaks of 15 or more games have culminated in a No. 1 playoff seed for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland (63–16) took care of business on Tuesday night with a 135–113 victory over the Chicago Bulls (36–43) for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers started the season with a 15-game winning streak and later went on a franchise-record 16-game winning streak that ended in March.

“Yeah, I mean I think you celebrate these moments,” Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters afterward. “You know, we'll talk about going forward, what that looks like. But today, tonight, we celebrate. I think the guys are super happy in that locker room.”

Cleveland last had the No. 1 seed in the 2015-2016 season when LeBron James played for the team before his exodus to the Los Angeles Lakers. That Cavaliers team went on to win the NBA Finals.

“We got out of the gate so quick, (and) we got ahead of it early … and then, you know, we had some ups and downs,” Atkinson said about the season. “Really proud of the guys … (and) the organization. It’s hard to win 63 games in this league. It’s hard to be the first seed.”

Predicted to be at least a playoff team this season, the Cavaliers grabbed the league’s attention with a 15–0 start, which the Boston Celtics ended on Nov. 19. The Cavaliers bounced back with a 12-game winning streak from Dec. 13 to Jan. 9. But Cleveland stumbled later in the month on a three-game skid.

Cleveland rebounded again with a 16-game winning streak that went from Feb. 5 to March 14 before a four-game skid that month. The Cavaliers locked up the No. 1 seed amid seven wins in the past nine games since the losing streak.

“It’s great. No. 1 seed in the East. (We’ve) been working for that for a while,” Cavaliers guard Darius Garland told reporters on Tuesday. “Finally got the game under our belt, so it’s cool to be the No. 1 seed and watching other guys play now.”

Garland stepped up in recent weeks, which Atkinson credited him for. Garland had 28 points amid 6-10 three-point shooting on Tuesday against the Bulls, and he has posted 19 or more points in five of the past eight games.

“He needed that. We needed it,” Atkinson said. “He needed to get his swag back … and that’s him. “That’s the Darius we’ve seen all year. That’s the guy we need in the playoffs right there.”

Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley had a big game with a double double of 21 points and 11 rebounds against the Bulls. Mobley has been stellar all season amid 18.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

“It’s a great feeling, I mean, locker room vibes definitely good back there, and I think everyone’s ready now,” Mobley told reporters on Tuesday.

Cleveland pulled off the win without star guard Donovan Mitchell. The recent All-Star averages 24 points, 4.5 rebounds, and five assists per game.

He sat out due to an ankle injury during a 120–113 loss to the Sacramento Kings (39–40) on Sunday. Atkinson confirmed that Mitchell will play in the playoffs but the Cavaliers might rest Mitchell for the three remaining regular season games.

Cleveland could see the Bulls again soon, depending on how the Eastern Conference play-in tournament shakes out. The Bulls are one of five teams locked into the play-in, which begins on April 15. Other play-in teams include the Orlando Magic (39–40), Atlanta Hawks (37–42), and Miami Heat (36–43).

“The work is just now starting,” Garland said. “Everybody’s trying to get locked in for the playoffs, so that’s where our mentality is shifting to.”

“Got to crank it up a notch and turn up our intensity, turn up our focus and go be us,” he added.