Cavs announce partnership that will give fans 5 free upcoming games

The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly have announced that five upcoming games will be available via free over-the-air television broadcasts.

The games include matchups against some of the highest-profile teams in the NBA, with the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers among them. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers also are included.

It is the latest bit of good news for fans in what has been a very successful Cavaliers season so far. They have climbed into second place in the Eastern Conference entering play Tuesday and hold a 35-17 record.

They had a nine-game winning streak snapped by the 76ers on Monday but have won 17 of their past 19 games heading into a meeting with the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

Despite missing starters Darius Garland and Evan Mobley for extended periods of time because of injuries, the Cavs have succeeded and emerged as strong contenders in the Eastern Conference. They are gaining buzz around the league as a team that could do serious damage in the playoffs.

If that does come to pass, it would be a tremendous improvement over their performance in the playoffs last season. They were eliminated in the first round by the New York Knicks in just five games, and that result apparently had a “deep, psychological” impact on the team.

They have responded with an excellent campaign so far. Donovan Mitchell is again an NBA All-Star Game selection and may be playing himself into the race for league MVP. The 27-year-old is averaging 28.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game in his 43 appearances.

Newcomers Max Strus and Georges Niang have been strong contributors as the only two Cavs to appear in all 52 games this season. Strus is averaging 12.3 points per game, and Niang is scoring 8.9 points per contest.

The game on March 5 against the Celtics should give a good indication of how the Cavs stack up against the team that’s currently leading the Eastern Conference. The other games that will be available on WUAB Channel 43 should also give fans a good idea of how the Cavs are looking as they likely will be heading into the playoffs.