CLEVELAND — Things looked a bit bleak in the first three quarters of Tuesday's game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets, but a late-game resurgence pushed the Cavs to a victory—their 15th straight—and secured them homecourt advantage in the first round of the upcoming 2025 NBA Playoffs.
At one point in Tuesday's game, the Nets owned an 18-point lead over the Cavs. With no Donovan Mitchell, who was out with a groin injury the team doesn't consider serious, the rest of the roster needed to step up. Darius Garland did just that.
Garland led the charge in the fourth quarter, with 30 points, four rebounds and eight assists.
The Cavs pulled off their signature "Cavalanche," the term trademarked by the team that seems to consistently find ways to win, coming back from massive deficits and piling on the points.
With their 109-104 win over Brooklyn, the Cavs have clinched the top spot in the Central Division.
This is the eighth time in franchise history the Cavs have clinched the division and the first time without LeBron James on the roster since the 1975-76 season.
The win also secures the Cavs homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. They'll hope to keep winning and clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, which would secure them home court through the entire playoffs.
Next, however, Cleveland will hit the road to take on the Memphis Grizzlies Friday. Then, they'll return for a Sunday 1 p.m. home game against the Orlando Magic—a game that you can catch right here on News 5 starting with our Cleveland Cavaliers Rally for the Ring pregame special at 12 p.m.
