Cleveland can clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since the 2015-16 season when it hosts the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night at Rocket Arena.
The Cavaliers (62-15) will have to beat a Kings team that is in a three-way dogfight for the last two spots in the play-in tournament in the West, and a team that handed them a 123-119 loss on March 19.
Cleveland struggled to close out San Antonio on Friday, surviving 114-113 on a miss by Harrison Barnes at the buzzer. The Cavs led by 23 in the first half but struggled with turnovers and poor shooting down the stretch.
“That’s the proverbial bullet right there,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said afterwards. “They took it to us in the second half. We didn’t come out with the requisite focus we needed in the second half. They dominated us and we hung on. Now we got to get back home. We’ve got one more game to clinch the first seed and take care of business.”
Sacramento (37-40) enters the game holding on to the last play-in spot by two full games over the Phoenix Suns. It has been a topsy-turvy season for the Kings, with Doug Christie taking over as head coach right after Christmas and a trade of De’Aaron Fox for a package headlined by former Bulls star Zach LaVine.
This is the fifth game of a six-game road trip for the Kings, who also play Monday night against the Pistons.
“We’ve got two tough games back-to-back,” said Kings forward Domantas Sabonis. “Two teams that will be waiting for us. It’s win or go home, so I hope everyone is locked in.”
“We’ve got some tough teams coming up, one that we beat, one that beat us on a last-second shot, so they’ll be ready for us,” said Christie, who is 24-22 since taking over. “You just have to bring it. These are the types of games where you find yourself.”
LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have begun to show signs of meshing on the floor together for the Kings, and Sabonis can be the third option. He missed multiple games with a sprained ankle but has averaged 18.1 points since returning March 24. He had 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the Kings’ win over the Hornets on Friday.
“If Domas had played more, he ends up with a triple-double,” said Christie. “He never ceases to amaze me. He’s always sacrificing with his body, always sacrificing with his approach. As a team, as an organization and our fan base, we need to love him up for that.”
The Cavs lead the NBA in points per game (122.2) and are second in field goal percentage (49.2). Donovan Mitchell has averaged 24 points, while Darius Garland has chipped in with 20.6. De’Andre Hunter, who the Cavs traded for before the deadline, has become the first player off the bench.
Cleveland center Jarrett Allen played only 16 minutes against the Spurs, sitting out the entire second half to rest him for the final stretch.
The last time Cleveland was the No. 1 seed in the East, they were led by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love and won the NBA title in seven games over Golden State.
“I wouldn’t change anything,” Atkinson said. “It’s been a great regular season. We have great chemistry. We have a good group that’s trying to take it to the next level.”
