The Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland underwent a major transformation for Friday’s NBA Cup opener between the Cavaliers and Bulls. But the only thing that remained unchanged was the home team’s sheer dominance.
The Cavaliers smoked the Bulls 144-126 to improve to 14-0, tying the 2002-03 Mavericks and the 1957-58 Celtics for the third-best start in NBA history. If Cleveland can beat the Hornets on Sunday, they will join the 1993-94 Rockets and 1948-49 Capitols for the second-best start at 15-0, trailing only the 2015-16 Warriors, who began 24-0.
The 14-0 start gives Cleveland its longest winning streak in franchise history, surpassing three separate 13-0 runs that the team registered in two different LeBron James eras.
Furthermore, Kenny Atkinson has become the first head coach in NBA history to start 14-0 with a new team.
Atkinson — an offensive-minded coach who previously served as Steve Kerr’s assistant at Golden State — has his imprints all over his new team. The Cavs have scored 130 or more points six times this season through 14 games. In comparison, they reached the 130-point threshold only four times through 82 games last season and thrice the year before.
Cleveland is averaging a league-high 123.4 points this season, a year after scoring 112.6 per game for 20th in the league. It’s been a remarkable turnaround. While the Cavs were a more defensive-minded team under J.B. Bickerstaff, Atkinson has ensured that many of his predecessor’s defensive principles have carried through in his tenure. The 2024-25 Cavaliers are seventh in defensive efficiency (110.3), an impressive feat for a team scoring in bunches every night.
The most fascinating aspect of the Cavaliers’ turnaround is they’ve brought back essentially the same roster from last season, with only Luke Travers and JT Thor joining the team on two-way contracts.
That’s precisely why Atkinson deserves extra credit for scripting the turnaround. The team’s franchise star, Donovan Mitchell, couldn’t stop raving about Atkinson’s leadership after Friday’s win. Mitchell revealed that Atkinson was upset that the team conceded 73 points at the halfway point to the Bulls and gave his players a dressing down.
“Obviously we haven’t lost, but how do you find ways to continue to build habits? It’s when your coach continues to coach you hard, not letting any mental errors or lapses. That’s what you want in a coach,” Mitchell told the media of Atkinson.
Some have also credited Mitchell for re-signing with Cleveland in the offseason and shutting down talk of him leaving the franchise as a free agent in 2025. By re-committing, Mitchell put any distractions the team may have faced to rest.
The 14-0 Cavs will next host the Hornets on Sunday. After that, they will face a big test against the reigning NBA champions, Celtics, on Tuesday. If Mitchell and Co. can win both those games, they will be only eight wins away from equalling the 2015-16 Warriors for the best start ever.
