J.B. Bickerstaff highlights different reasons why statement win vs. Bucks was ‘great step’ for Cavs

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has his team playing at a very high level right now.

After a 114-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, the Cavs are now on a five-game winning streak, and they’re inching closer to the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Bickerstaff spoke after Wednesday’s game about how Cleveland’s win over Milwaukee was a “great step” for the squad.

“I think in the past, we haven’t been able to sustain their runs,” Bickerstaff said. “Tonight, I think, was a great step for us. We showed a lot of poise. We kept our composure. But the thing that was most impressive to me is we continue to do it together. There was no splintering. There was not one guy trying to do it on his own. We just went back to the basics and executed our stuff and got the looks we wanted.”

Cleveland bent but didn’t break on Wednesday. Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo did his thing by dropping 45 points and 14 rebounds, but the Cavs countered with big games from Donovan Mitchell (36 points and six assists), Darius Garland (23 points) and Jarrett Allen (19 points and eight rebounds).

Thanks to the win, the Cavs are just one game back of the Bucks for the top spot in the East. They are also just half a game back of the Boston Celtics for the No. 2 spot.

Cleveland’s win over Milwaukee on Wednesday was also valuable in the sense that it proved the Cavs can compete with the best of the best in the East. They now have a win over the Bucks and two wins over the Celtics this season.

Cavs fans have been able to enjoy a handful of different winning streaks in the 2022-23 campaign. The squad had an eight-game winning streak near the beginning of the season and put together a four-game winning streak in November. Only time will tell how long the team’s current streak lasts.

Next up, Cleveland will host the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 23 and Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 26. After those games, the Cavs will hit the road for matchups against the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls.

If the Cavs keep winning, they may find themselves in the top spot in the Eastern Conference in the blink of an eye.