The Cavaliers are 3-2 and sixth after letting a 15-point lead slip in a 114-111 loss at Atlanta. Franchise history holds both an opening losing streak of 15 games and a 15-0 start, and this team is still deciding which way it leans.
Is 3-2 a good start by this franchise's standards?
It's a fine start and nothing more. The 1970 expansion team opened with 15 straight losses. The 2024-25 team opened 15-0 before Boston ended the run, and on this date in 2024 it beat the Lakers 134-110. This group's pace projects to 49-33, short of the 52-30 finish that came before this season and far from the franchise-record 66 wins of 2008-09.
How did Cleveland lose a game it controlled early?
It went soft in the middle of the game. Cleveland led 31-16, then a 13-0 Hawks run before halftime wiped that out. Atlanta opened the third with an 8-0 burst and added another 8-0 run across the turn into the fourth. Onyeka Okongwu finished with 29 and 12. The bench split the night: Sam Merrill was +8, Mario Hezonja -13.
What does the franchise's most famous late shot say about this finish?
The 1976 Miracle at Richfield came down to Dick Snyder's shot with four seconds left in Game 7 against Washington. Thursday ended the other way. Okongwu's putback with 28 seconds left made it 112-109. Donovan Mitchell answered with a finger roll, then Merrill's two take fouls sent Atlanta to the line. Mitchell missed two pull-up threes at the end and finished 1-for-9 from deep.
Should the Bucks game worry anyone?
It should be treated as a game to bank. Milwaukee is 1-4, and both teams are on the second night of a back-to-back. This franchise has won eight Central Division titles, and division games are how those get built. Next come the Thunder twice, then the 76ers and Knicks, so leaving Milwaukee without a win would make a hard week heavier.
Will Meleek Thomas play in Milwaukee?
He might. The 20-year-old rookie is day-to-day with a foot and leg issue, and his estimated return date is October 31, the day of the Bucks game. He was moved from out back to day-to-day after the Atlanta loss. Jaylon Tyson has been cleared. Getting one more guard back would ease the minutes on James Harden, who is 37 and played 36 in Atlanta.
When do the Cavaliers play the Bucks?
October 31 in Milwaukee, on the second night of a back-to-back for both teams.
How did the Cavaliers start the 2024-25 season?
They opened 15-0, tied for the second-best start in franchise history, before Boston ended the streak in November.
