2. They’re Tops in the East
At 52-22 with eight games remaining, the Cavs are one win away from tying their victory total of a year ago. In fairness, James had missed 13 games during his first season back, which was a large reason why they finished second in the Eastern Conference to Atlanta. But even with Kevin Love out and Kyrie Irving missing Games 2 and 3, the Cavs steamrolled the Hawks on their way to representing the conference in the NBA Finals.
The Toronto Raptors are the only team with a mathematical chance of catching them down the stretch, and they would have to count on the Cavs collapsing during a four-game stretch, which includes a home game against the red-hot Charlotte Hornets and a trip to Milwaukee, Indiana and Chicago. That won’t happen.
Next: Manageable Path to NBA Finals