The Cavs show commitment to championship habits that blend ruthless dominance and joy

On By Littum

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cavs have a reputation for being one of the NBA’s happiest teams with their sideline celebrations, camaraderie and unwavering belief in one another. But in their 124-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cavs revealed another side — one as ruthless as the league’s best, without losing the fun that defines their identity.

Milwaukee entered the game fresh off an NBA Cup championship, having won 11 of their last 13 contests. They were riding high, with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing MVP-caliber basketball, and the team exuded confidence.

Cleveland didn’t back down.

Instead, the Cavs overwhelmed the Bucks with a relentless mix of precision and physicality, leading for all but 89 seconds and never letting their foot off the gas. The statement win improved their record to a blistering 24-4 start – tied for the best 28-game opener in franchise history.

Kenny Atkinson’s side have built championship habits since day one, but they have sometimes veered off course.

In an early season game against the Warriors in November, Cleveland suffered a 41-point halftime deficit as complacency crept in. That night, Tristan Thompson, the team’s veteran voice and a champion himself, gave an impassioned speech reminding his teammates of that dominance. is not about the scoreboard or the opponent, but about their standards.

The lesson stuck, and it was on full display Friday.

“That’s who we want to be,” five-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell explained. “We understand that yeah, they won the Cup, they’re the champions, so to speak, right now. So for us to come in and set that tone, it doesn’t matter if we’re up 30, down 30. That’s what we will be.

“We’re continuing to build the right habits and it shows that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to win these games. … We all have to do it and it just shows what we really worked on all season.”

The Cavs played with a purpose rarely seen this early in the season. Every possession carried weight, even with a comfortable lead. When Atkinson cleared the bench with nine minutes left, Cleveland was up by 33 points. The Cavs’ biggest lead of the contest was 36 points, trailing just 89 seconds into the first quarter.

The Cavs played with a purpose rarely seen this early in the season. Every possession carried weight, even with a comfortable lead. When Atkinson cleared the bench with nine minutes left, Cleveland was up by 33 points. The Cavs’ biggest lead in the contest was 36 points. During the entire game, they trailed for just 89 seconds in the first quarter.

“Everyone on our team is dangerous,” Max Strus said after his season debut. “Can’t really leave anybody open and we all have the confidence to shoot it and the confidence in each other to make every shot. You can’t sleep on anyone on any given night. (It’s) the most dangerous teams in the NBA, the ones that 1 through 15, anybody can have a night to help us win a game. It’s really fun to be a part of.”

The way the team closed out quarters, fought for loose balls and maintained their defensive principles reflected the intensity of a playoff game, not a mid-December game.

Plays like Caris LeVert’s hustle late in the third quarter encapsulated the team’s development.

As the clock wound down in the third quarter, Caris LeVert drove to the basket for a contested finish at the rim, causing him to fall to the floor, potentially warranting a foul. Instead of complaining about the no call, LeVert jumped to his feet and rushed back on defense. He didn’t have to go far and steal the Bucks’ inbounds pass. As the ball squirted out of his hands, LeVert dove to the floor and tipped it to a trailing Mitchell, who drained a 3-pointer to extend the Cavs’ lead to 27 points.

The Cavs didn’t let up up there either.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Milwaukee Bucks, December 20, 2024

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang dives for a loose ball against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half of the game. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Early in the fourth quarter, a loose ball by defensive end Georges Niang sent his body up onto the hardwood, flicking it away from a Bucks player and sparking another Mitchell transition 3-pointer. The shot didn’t fall for the five-time All-Star, but Evan Mobley soared over two defenders to grab the offensive rebound. Instead of gently kicking the ball back out as he might have done in previous seasons, Mobley attacked both defenders with unrelenting force, drawing a foul and ending the game. The arena erupted and Mitchell let out a primal roar into the sea of ​​Cleveland faithful as Mobley stood in the heart of the paint, bold and commanding as if he owned it.

It’s plays that define a team on a mission.

“That’s the spirit of this group,” Atkinson said. “They are connected and they are desperate to get to the next level. That was a good indication. They are playing hard.”

It didn’t matter that Doc Rivers and the Bucks had waved the white flag and benched their starters, including Antetokounmpo, for the entire final period. Atkinson left no breathing room for Milwaukee, keeping his role players on the floor along with Mitchell and Mobley, even if it was for just under three minutes in the final frame.

The difference this season isn’t the talent — it’s the hunger to get better, sharper, more ruthless.

That mindset stems from a roster that knows how close it came to breaking through last year.

A second-round exit to the eventual champion Boston Celtics left them with unfinished business, and they’ve returned with an understanding of what it takes to win at the highest level.

The cohesion of a group that returns 13 of 14 players from the previous season, paired with the guidance of Atkinson and Thompson’s veteran presence, has created a team that doesn’t just talk about high standards—they live by them.

For a fan base that longs for a team that embodies grit and shine, Friday night was a glimpse of what could be. It was a blueprint for what the Cavs hope to replicate deep into the spring. The habits they displayed — disciplined defense, unselfish offense and an unyielding desire to outwork their opponent — are the foundation of a championship run.

With the league’s best record and a style that combines joy and ferocity, the Cavs are proving that they are more than competitors – they are a team ready to take their opponents’ hearts while keeping them intact. The road to a title is long, but if its win over a struggling Bucks team was any indication, Cleveland is in the driver’s seat, not just along for the ride.