Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan wondered whether he was dreaming after hitting a buzzer-beating winning three-pointer for the second consecutive day.
After draining a last-gasp shot to lead the Bulls to glory over the Indiana Pacers on New Year's Eve, DeRozan was at it again on Saturday by nailing one from the left corner to earn the Bulls a 120-119 triumph over the Washington Wizards to extend their winning streak to seven.
According to Basketball Reference, DeRozan is the first player in NBA history to hit game-winning buzzer-beaters on consecutive days.
The big moment arrived when he took hold of Coby White's pass with a little over three seconds remaining, dribbled into the corner, faked the shot on rookie Corey Kispert, set his feet and drained the shot.
It was the culmination of another fine performance for DeRozan, who had 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He is averaging a league-high eight points on 53 per cent shooting in the fourth quarter this season.
"Just to hit a buzzer-beater in general is amazing, especially when you do it on the road," DeRozan said about his moment of glory.
"I don't know if I'm dreaming. If it's real right now.
"It's just an honour to be trusted in the fourth quarter. Whether things are going good or going bad, my team, team-mates always leaned on me to be that calm presence to bring us home.
"I always bring that calm presence as much as I can in the fourth quarter, letting guys understand, as long we got time we got a chance."
With the Brooklyn Nets having lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Bulls stand alone atop the Eastern Conference with a 24-10 record.
Their recent streak is even more impressive in the context of a spate of absentees, a situation that should be eased by the return from health and safety protocols for Lonzo Ball and Alfonzo McKinnie against the Orlando Magic on Monday.
The game will also see head coach Billy Donovan eligible to return from the protocols as well, and stand-in coach Chris Fleming is happy to hand back the reins.
"I'm quite relieved I can give this back to coach," Fleming said. "I was very fortunate enough to be able to experience this from the head coaching standpoint and see the guys from a little bit of a different side.
"I told them after that I was thankful for the partnership and how hard they poured themselves into making the situation a good one.
"That's pretty much how their character has been all season. They've been resilient, they've handled other blows and different guys have been out, and they've just kept chugging."
Stephen Curry said the Golden State Warriors' DNA "is built on chasing championships" as he set a new NBA three-pointer record in their hard-earned win over the Utah Jazz.
For the second road game in a row the Warriors produced when it mattered against a Western Conference rival.
Curry broke his own record for consecutive games with a three-pointer.along the way, surpassing the mark he set in 2016 by reaching 158 appearances in a row with at least one successful three. He finished this game with six three-pointers from 12 attempts.
Having defeated the second-placed Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day, Golden State rallied in the fourth quarter to earn a 123-116 triumph over Utah, with Curry putting up 28 points to go alongside nine assists as they moved to 28-7 for the season.
In what was a real team effort, Andrew Wiggins had 25 points, Otto Porter Jr finished with 20 to go with eight assists and seven rebounds, and Andre Iguodala had 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds off the bench including nailing a late three-pointer to ensure victory.
Reflecting on another big win, Curry said: "It's a good confidence builder to be in these types of settings on the road and get wins like this and show who we are.
"Our DNA is built on chasing championships, and you've got to win games like we have to get it done."
Wiggins, Iguodala and Porter all came up trumps alongside Curry during a final 10 minutes in which the Warriors missed only two shots.
Curry hailed the impact of his team-mates on the win.
"They're talented, and they're gamers, and they understand they're going to have to play like that for us to do special things this year," he added.
"The opportunity is there. It's just a matter of going through the reps."
The Warriors led by as many as 16 at one stage, but 41 points in the third quarter – the most the Warriors have given up in any quarter this season – helped the Jazz to a 91-86 lead.
But the visitors came back strongly again, scoring on seven consecutive plays in the fourth to regain the initiative.
"They did a great job of moving the ball, of getting up into us defensively and making us uncomfortable and controlled that third quarter," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
"But that requires a lot of energy too. That lead we had at half-time forced them to really get after it in that third quarter, and they did. But I thought we had more energy in the fourth as a result."
Kevin Durant has slammed his Brooklyn Nets teammates for "f****d-up attitude" after suffering a shock 120-116 defeat to the under-strength Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
The Clippers charged home in the final quarter, despite Durant's 28 points and nine rebounds, scoring 40-29 to claim the four-point win.
The defeat, with the Clippers missing star trio Kawhi Leonard (ACL), Nicolas Batum (ankle) and Paul George (elbow), left Durant furious with his side.
"We just relaxed too much," Durant said at the post-game news conference. "We get up 10 [points], miss a layup or turn the ball over, and they get a fast break, give up a three, straight-line drive - like coach [Steve Nash] said, we didn't deserve to win this game.
"We came in here with a f****d-up attitude. Thinking we were just going to walk into a W."
He added: "It's natural when a team is missing so many players. They're going through so much over there. [We] relaxed.
"You don't think you could lose an NBA game like this. They're missing how many guys? They're playing guys that are up from the G League.
"Xavier Moon came in and hit some shots for them. Keon Johnson, James Ennis - they all made an impact I felt on the game, and I think we came in too chill to start."
The Nets, who coughed up 15 turnovers, slip to a 23-11 record, while Eastern Conference contenders the Chicago Bulls (24-10) and the Milwaukee Bucks (25-13) both won on Saturday.
Nets head coach Steve Nash lamented his side's lack of "care factor", with the defeat coming two days after going down to the Philadelphia 76ers 110-102.
"I just think [conceding] 71 points in the second half is unacceptable," Nash said. "We just never really had the care factor.
"Turned it up, we had a chance up nine, 10, 11 in the third and fourth at different times and just took our foot off the gas and got what we deserved, really.
"All those guys in there, I think they know it, they're disappointed of course, but it's a disappointment for all of us - that was obviously a very winnable game that we let get away."
James Harden became the first player in Nets franchise history with back-to-back triple-doubles with 30 or more points, with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists against the Clippers.
Kevin Durant has slammed his Brooklyn Nets teammates for "f****d-up attitude" after suffering a shock 120-116 defeat to the under-strength Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
The Clippers charged home in the final quarter, despite Durant's 28 points and nine rebounds, scoring 40-29 to claim the four-point win.
The defeat, with the Clippers missing star trio Kawhi Leonard (ACL), Nicolas Batum (ankle) and Paul George (elbow), left Durant furious with his side.
"We just relaxed too much," Durant said at the post-game news conference. "We get up 10 [points], miss a layup or turn the ball over, and they get a fast break, give up a three, straight-line drive - like coach [Steve Nash] said, we didn't deserve to win this game.
"We came in here with a f****d-up attitude. Thinking we were just going to walk into a W."
He added: "It's natural when a team is missing so many players. They're going through so much over there. [We] relaxed.
"You don't think you could lose an NBA game like this. They're missing how many guys? They're playing guys that are up from the G League.
"Xavier Moon came in and hit some shots for them. Keon Johnson, James Ennis - they all made an impact I felt on the game, and I think we came in too chill to start."
The Nets, who coughed up 15 turnovers, slip to a 23-11 record, while Eastern Conference contenders the Chicago Bulls (24-10) and the Milwaukee Bucks (25-13) both won on Saturday.
Nets head coach Steve Nash lamented his side's lack of "care factor", with the defeat coming two days after going down to the Philadelphia 76ers 110-102.
"I just think [conceding] 71 points in the second half is unacceptable," Nash said. "We just never really had the care factor.
"Turned it up, we had a chance up nine, 10, 11 in the third and fourth at different times and just took our foot off the gas and got what we deserved, really.
"All those guys in there, I think they know it, they're disappointed of course, but it's a disappointment for all of us - that was obviously a very winnable game that we let get away."
James Harden became the first player in Nets franchise history with back-to-back triple-doubles with 30 or more points, with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists against the Clippers.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Wentz had to be activated by 4pm eastern time on Saturday to be eligible for Sunday's game where the Colts can clinch a playoff spot with victory.
However, Wentz still has another hurdle to overcome, needing his COVID-19 symptoms to have resolved or improved by Sunday morning.
The unvaccinated QB tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week but under the new NFL protocols players can return after only five days if they are asymptomatic or demonstrate that their symptoms are lessening.
Wentz has thrown for 3,230 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions for the Colts, who have a 9-6 record.
The Golden State Warriors stormed home with a strong final quarter led by Stephen Curry to halt the Utah Jazz's winning run with a 123-116 victory on Saturday.
The Warriors fought back from a 16-point deficit in the third quarter with a 37-25 final period, going 13 of 18 from the field.
Curry finished the game with 28 points including six three-pointers with six rebounds and nine assists, while Andrew Wiggins contributed with 25 points.
Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points with nine assists, Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 19 rebounds while Bojan Bogdanovic netted 20 points including four triples for the Jazz who had won six in a row.
The result improves the Warriors to 28-7 while the Jazz are 26-10 in the Western Conference.
DeRozan does it again
DeMar DeRozan became the first player to hit a game-winning buzzer beater in successive games since 1997-98 as the Chicago Bulls won 120-119 over the Washington Wizards. DeRozan finished with 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Zach LaVine had 35 points for the Bulls. Bradley Beal had 27 points and 17 assists for the Wizards.
Giannis Antetokounmpo started the year with a triple-double as the Milwaukee Bucks claimed their sixth straight win, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 136-113. Antetokounmpo scored 35 points with 16 rebounds and 10 assists.
Nikola Jokic scored 34 points with 11 rebounds and Facundo Campazzo delivered 22 points and 12 assists as the Denver Nuggets won 124-111 over the Houston Rockets.
Nets beaten as stars shooting off
The Brooklyn Nets stars were back together but they were humbled by the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 120-116. Kevin Durant shot 11 of 24 from the field for his 28 points while James Harden went nine of 22 from the field. Harden did have 34 points with 12 rebounds and 13 assists.
All-Star point guard Luka Doncic has cleared the NBA's health and safety protocols and is set to return for the Dallas Mavericks in Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Doncic is one of the three Mavericks who have cleared protocols, after the Slovenian entered prior to Christmas.
The 22-year-old will likely be joined by shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and power forward Maxi Kleber in returning for Sunday's game.
Doncic is averaging 25.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists this season for the Mavericks but has not played since December 10.
The 2020 and 2021 All-Star aggravated a sprained left ankle in a loss to the Indiana Pacers on December 10 and missed the next five games before entering protocols.
Doncic has subsequently missed the Mavericks' past 10 games with the side going 5-5 to hold a 17-18 record for the season.
Bruce Arians will be able to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the New York Jets after clearing coronavirus protocols.
Arians and wide receivers coach Kevin Garver have spent the week in isolation following positive tests for COVID-19.
However, both will be available for the Week 17 clash, and the Bucs could also have two cornerbacks back on their active roster.
Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting were each activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list having been placed on it on Tuesday.
They are listed on the injury report as questionable and, should the Bucs deem them ready to play, they will travel separately for the game in New Jersey.
Tampa Bay head into the game 11-4, a game behind the 12-3 Green Bay Packers in the race for the one seed in the NFC.
The Kansas City Chiefs have ruled out running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire for their clash with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kansas City can clinch the top seed in the AFC this week if they beat the Bengals on the road and the Tennessee Titans lose to the Miami Dolphins.
But they will attempt to do so without Edwards-Helaire, who did not practice this week because of a shoulder injury.
He was originally listed as questionable on the injury report but on Saturday was downgraded to out.
Edwards-Helaire, a first-round pick in 2020, has struggled to justify his draft status to this point in his brief career.
This season, Edwards-Helaire has averaged 4.3 yards per carry, amassing 517 yards in 10 games. He has scored four touchdowns on the ground and a further two as a receiver.
Dan Reeves, who participated in nine Super Bowls over the course of his 38-year career in the NFL, has died at the age of 77.
Reeves' passing was confirmed by his family in a statement released to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
"Legendary NFL player and coach Dan Reeves passed away early this morning, peacefully and surrounded by his loving family at his home in Atlanta, GA," the statement read.
"He passed away at age 77 due to complications from a long illness. His legacy will continue through his many friends, players and fans as well as the rest of the NFL community. Arrangements are still to be determined."
Reeves played eight seasons as a running back for the Dallas Cowboys, going to two Super Bowls including a victory in Super Bowl VI.
He then moved into coaching ranks and won Super Bowl XII as an assistant with the Cowboys before taking over as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 1981.
Reeves led the Broncos to three Super Bowl appearances in 12 seasons before a four-season spell with the New York Giants.
His final coaching stop was with the Atlanta Falcons, whom he guided to Super Bowl XXXIII in the 1998 season, only to suffer defeat to the Broncos.
Reeves is one of 10 head coaches to win 200 career games (including postseason).
Along with Marv Levy, he holds the record for the most playoff wins (11) without winning a championship. Reeves, Levy and Bud Grant own the record for the most Super Bowl appearances (four) for a head coach without a win.
Marty Schottenheimer and Reeves are the only two eligible head coaches with 200 career wins who have not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Odell Beckham Jr is relishing the prospect of a postseason run with the Los Angeles Rams after explaining he felt "deprived" during his spell at the Cleveland Browns.
The Rams travel to play the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday leading the NFC West with an 11-4 record, already assured of a place in the playoffs.
Despite some spectacular play over the course of his NFL career, Beckham has only ever played one game in the playoffs – with the New York Giants in 2016 – and has never been on a division-winning team.
Beckham has made four touchdown catches in his last five appearances with the in-form Rams, who are looking to win a fifth straight game against the Ravens.
He did not have any TD catches in six games with the Browns before his release earlier this season and had just seven in 23 games across the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Having joined the Rams on a short-term deal, Beckham is enjoying the chance to play a key role and savouring his team's success.
"It's been great," Beckham said, per ESPN, about his run of TDs. "Over the last couple of years, I've felt deprived.
"I've definitely missed the end zone for sure, and it just hasn't been as easy and seamless as it could and should be.
"I'm someone who I feel like I should score once or twice every single game. I feel like I can get 100 yards every single game.
"I came late to the party but still have celebrated like I've been here for the whole time, so it's definitely a special opportunity, not just to win the division but to go for it all.
"This is the only reason that you put in these hours of work in the offseason, to dedicate and sacrifice our lives for this is for these moments."
Beckham believes his support of teammate Cooper Kupp proves he is a team player even though he has not always been perceived in that way.
Kupp has a chance to make NFL history with a 2,000-yard season and the receiving triple crown of most catches, yards and TDs.
"Man, I find it funny, all the talks about me being a me guy," Beckham added. "People are going to say whatever but they just have no idea.
"When I chose to come here, I'm knowing that Coops on pace to break a record.
"I didn't come here thinking, 'Oh, I got to get my targets.' That's just not being me - yeah, I want the ball, I'm a competitor, but like I said, I came late to the party.
"It's just funny, all the backlash that I get about the type of person that I am. I think you just see me in an atmosphere where success is around and these people are on pace for history.
"I want to watch him break [the record] - I told him I want him to get 2K yards so I can come and break your record.
"That's how it happens - records are meant to be broken – and we're just witnessing something very, very special."
While the Rams could clinch the division title this week, Baltimore is the only franchise in the league against whom they have never won a road game (0-3).
Stefanos Tsitsipas withdrew from his ATP Cup match against Hubert Hurkacz on Saturday but eased injury fears after playing in the doubles.
The Greek star, ranked fourth in the world, is recovering from elbow surgery but suffered a flare-up of the problem in Sydney and pulled out of the Group D singles tie as a precaution.
With the Australian Open coming up later this month, the two-time Melbourne Park semi-finalist appeared comfortable as he paired up with Michail Pervolarakis for a 6-4 5-7 10-8 win.
"The recovery from my elbow surgery in November is on track for Melbourne and today was a precautionary step to make sure I make Melbourne," he said.
"We will see day by day, match by match until then."
Aristotelis Thanos stepped in for Greece and lost 6-1 6-2 as Hurkacz helped Poland into a 2-0 lead after Kamil Majchrzak had beaten Pervolarakis 6-1 6-4, making the doubles clash a dead rubber.
Spain, runners-up in 2020, showed no mercy on Chile despite the absence of Rafael Nadal as they stormed to a 3-0 win in Group A.
Roberto Bautista Agut downed Cristian Garin 6-0 6-3, while Pablo Carreno Busta defeated Alejandro Tabilo 6-4 7-6 (7-4). Doubles pairing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Pedro Martinez battled to a 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 10-7 victory over Tabilo and Tomas Barrios.
Argentina also enjoyed a 3-0 triumph in Group D, with Georgia coming up blank against a team led by Diego Schwartzman.
Serbia, without Novak Djokovic, earned a decisive doubles success to seal a 2-1 win over Norway, with Nikola Cacic and Filip Krajinovic downing Casper Ruud and Viktor Durasovic.
LeBron James is taking pride from the efficiency of his supreme scoring streak with the Los Angeles Lakers.
One day after turning 37, the NBA icon had a season-high 43 points as the Lakers routed the Portland Trail Blazers 139-106 at home on Friday.
The Lakers improved to 18-19 on the season and James extended his remarkable run of 30-point games to seven, the first time he has done that since 2013.
James is nearing his best streak of 10 such games he recorded with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005-06.
He is averaging 36 points per game over his seven-game stretch, making 57.8 per cent of his shots from the field.
James was 16 of 26 shooting and connected with five three-pointers as the Trail Blazers were crushed, giving him his 67th career 40-point game and sixth for the Lakers in his fourth season with the team.
"If that is what our team needs to win, I am OK with that," said James, per ESPN.
"I am not a guy who goes out and sees if I can jack up a bunch of shots.
"The streak I have been on with my scoring I have been efficient. I take pride in that as a player."
James also became the oldest player in NBA history to have a game with at least 40 points and 14 rebounds.
Asked about that record, he added: "I don't feel like I have been in the league 19 years. When I am daily reminded of it, I feel it sometimes.
"Sometimes you do have to remind people you can still do what you can do at a high level.
"I literally try to prepare my mind and my body and my soul on how I can stay young in a young man's game.
"Because that's what it all boils down to. It boils down to putting the work in and everything else will take care of itself."
Russell Westbrook (15 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) recorded a triple-double for the Lakers, his ninth of the season, while there were 18 points from Malik Monk, but James was the clear standout.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel, who cleared the league's COVID-19 protocols to take his place on the sideline against the Trail Blazers, was thrilled with the veteran's impact.
"This is just LeBron James playing at a superior level more than what is happening around him," he said.
"While Anthony Davis is out, he is intent on doing everything he can to pile up wins and play at an extra-high level."
Up next for the Lakers, who had lost six of seven prior to this morale-boosting win, is a home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves (16-19) on Sunday.
DeMar DeRozan believes the sky is the limit for the surging Chicago Bulls as their resilient winning streak continued against the Indiana Pacers.
The Bulls grabbed a dramatic 108-106 road win on Friday, their sixth straight NBA triumph meaning they ended 2021 sitting top of the Eastern Conference at 23-10.
Chicago were without head coach Billy Donovan for a fourth straight game due to health and safety protocols, with Lonzo Ball absent for the same reason, while Alex Caruso is still out with a foot injury.
They were missing 10 players at one stage in December after a COVID-19 outbreak.
DeRozan, who hit an incredible buzzer-beating three-pointer to see off the Pacers, takes huge encouragement from the Bulls' fine form while the team has been undermanned.
"We have been battling COVID protocols with our coach, our players, for what has felt like the last two months," DeRozan said, per ESPN.
"For the team to be able to hold on, sustain like we are doing and end the year top of our conference, it speaks volumes to the type of team we are.
"And [it speaks volumes to] the type of team we can be once we get back to full strength."
DeRozan paid tribute to teammate Coby White, who hustled to grab a crucial rebound before the game-winning shot off one leg from 28 feet.
White also connected with six of seven attempts from behind the arc in a 24-point display, but it was DeRozan who took the plaudits with a game-high 28 and a +18 point differential.
DeRozan is the league leader for both total points and points per game in the fourth quarter.
This was his second career buzzer-beater and the first for a Bulls player since Jimmy Butler in 2016.
"For that shot to go in was a big-time relief for me," added four-time All Star DeRozan, who is in his first season with the Bulls after spells with the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs.
"We were battling that whole fourth quarter, feeling like nothing was going our way on both ends.
"We couldn't get a rebound. We couldn't get going offensively. It felt like we were getting beat up here and there.
"By the time I looked up at the clock, I said, 'All right, I got to make something happen'. I just tried to get enough space, get it up, get it over and as soon as it left my hand it felt good.
"I'm a firm believer in, as long as I got time I got a chance.
"Sometimes it's going to be rough nights, and you have got to understand, as long as there's time on that clock you can figure out something to do to pull out a victory. That's what we did."
The Bulls are back in action at the Washington Wizards (18-17) on Saturday.
DeMar DeRozan knocked down a buzzer-beating three-pointer as Eastern Conference leaders the Chicago Bulls dramatically defeated the Indiana Pacers 108-106.
The Bulls ended 2021 on a high with a sixth straight victory that came about when DeRozan picked up the ball with around nine seconds remaining, looked around for options on the court before taking on the shot himself when he noticed the clock winding down.
It was the second time in DeRozan's career he had hit a buzzer-beater, while no Bulls player had achieved the feat since Jimmy Butler in 2016.
DeRozan drained 28 points in total to go with six assists and three rebounds, while Coby White had 24 points. DeRozan is the league leader for both total points and points per game in the fourth quarter.
Victory sees the Bulls head into the new year top of the East, with an identical record (23-10) to the Brooklyn Nets.
Celtics stop the skid to down Suns
The Phoenix Suns entered their showdown with the Boston Celtics with the best record in the NBA but lost for the third time in four games with a 123-108 defeat.
Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each scored 24 points with the former registering 11 rebounds and the latter eight assists as the Celtics stopped a three-game losing streak. Robin Williams had a triple-double of 10 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.
Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder missed a third straight game for the Suns due to being placed on the health and safety protocols. Devin Booker put up 22 points, Cam Johnson had 20, Jalen Smith registered 19, and Chris Paul had 14 points and eight assists, but it was all in vain for the Suns.
LeBron James had a season-high 43 points and extended his streak of 30-point games to seven as the Los Angeles Lakers routed the Portland Trail Blazers 139-106 to improve to 18-19 on the season.
Bulls on a hot-streak
Chicago's six-game winning streak has propelled the Bulls to the top of the East and represents their best winning run since December 2017.
Moreso than any other team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lived at opposite ends of the league over the last two decades.
Since 2002-03, Cleveland has finished with 25 or fewer wins in seven different seasons, tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the most in basketball.
But those seven dreadful seasons have also yielded some generational talents in the NBA Draft, most notably LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, leading to eight seasons with 50 or more wins over that span, the most in the Eastern Conference and the fourth most in the NBA.
In the three full campaigns since James left Cleveland for the second time, the Cavs have gone an NBA-worst 60-159, but fans in Ohio are hopeful that this season's 20-15 start is evidence that those lean years have produced enough talent to fuel a franchise turnaround yet again.
Last season the Cavs accrued 34 losses before earning their 20th win, but their improvement runs even deeper.
Cleveland has improved in almost every significant statistical category, but the growth on defense has been dramatic. Last year's squad had one of the league's five worst defenses, allowing 112.1 points per 100 possessions. This year, the Cavaliers are allowing 102.2 points per 100 possessions, the third-best mark in the league and the top in the East.
When combined with an offense that has shown incremental improvement, the Cavaliers have a net rating of +5.2 per 100 possessions, the fourth best in the NBA and ahead of fellow Eastern contenders like the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks.
All of this has come with Cleveland facing the NBA's third-toughest schedule so far, with an average opponents' win percentage of .526.
While some predicted that the Cavs' hot start would fizzle out into another losing season, the team has maintained its wining ways through nearly half the season and looks to be in position to continue.
Despite playing in a division with the Bucks and surprisingly good Chicago Bulls, Cleveland's remaining schedule is the easiest in the NBA by opponents’ average win percentage, with a majority of the upcoming being played at home.
Rookie Evan Mobley, selected with the third overall pick in July's draft, has been the catalyst for Cleveland's transformation this season. The 20-year-old big man is fourth in rookie scoring at 14.3 points per game but has made an all-around impact more typical of a veteran than a player who was in high school two years ago.
The Cavs' selection of the seven-footer Mobley was criticized by some pundits as redundant after the franchise had just re-signed center Jarrett Allen to a contract worth $100million earlier last offseason.
Mobley and Allen have answered critics by forging one of the most formidable frontcourt defenses in the NBA. When Mobley and Allen are on the court together, the Cavaliers have a preposterous 95.3 defensive rating and opponents are shooting just 40.7 percent from the floor.
In a league that continues to downsize, Mobley has started most of his games at power forward, but the Cavs have found they do not sacrifice much offensively because their young star is so skilled and versatile.
While Allen has thrived around the rim this season, Mobley has the skill and athleticism to play everywhere, spacing the floor and keeping the ball moving on offense while smothering all sizes of players on defense.
Credit is due to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who identified early on that his frontcourt players were talented enough that he could buck the league's small-ball trend by starting his twin towers lineup.
Bickerstaff also had the courage to tell Kevin Love, the team's highest-paid player, that he would be coming off the bench. Love, who has been openly disgruntled about Cleveland's losing records in previous years, has embraced his new role and has seen a resurgence in both enthusiasm and efficiency.
The Cavaliers have been so pleased with Bickerstaff's leadership, in fact, that the parties agreed to a multiyear extension last week that keeps him under contract through the 2026-27 season.
Bickerstaff, Mobley and Allen – who is still just 23 years old – form a foundation that Cleveland intends to build upon for the next several years.
The Cavs' other unquestioned franchise staple is point guard Darius Garland, who has continued to improve in his third year. Garland is on pace for career-highs with 19.5 points per game, 7.3 assists per game and 47.9-percent shooting from the field.
Garland has been forced to shoulder a heavy offensive burden and will be an even more vital player as the Cavs entered the second half of the season.
Backcourt mate and last year's leading scorer Collin Sexton was lost for the season after tearing cartilage in his left knee on Nov. 7.
Sexton's injury forced veteran guard Ricky Rubio into a more prominent role, a combination that worked very well for several weeks until Rubio suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Tuesday, ending his season as well.
The thinning of their backcourt led to the Cavs trading for the 16th-year veteran as an experienced floor general just before the calendar flipped to 2022.
It looks as if the 2021-22 season will be one of attrition, and a lack of depth may ultimately prevent the Cavaliers from maintaining an elite point differential in the East. But with a team so young, the franchise would have to be pleased just to play in the postseason again.
Going forward, however, Cleveland faces a crossroads decision in the coming offseason with Sexton's contract. The fourth-year guard is in the final year of his rookie deal, and the front office must decide if the Garland-Sexton backcourt combination is the best long-term option.
Sexton averaged 24.3 points per game last season, making it seem like offering him an extension would be the obvious solution. But high-scoring numbers like that typically demand a maximum contract – in this case, $173million over five years.
Garland and Sexton both stand just 6ft1, creating some flexibility issues. Since the latter was drafted in 2018, the Cavaliers have been wiling to live with a defensive liability in the backcourt as they focused on collecting talent and developing young players.
But now that Cleveland appears ready to make a run at the playoffs, more serious questions must be answered.
During Sexton's four-season tenure, the Cavs have allowed a staggering 115.5 points per 100 possessions while he is on the court versus 107.2 when he sits.
And despite Sexton's impressive scoring numbers, Cleveland's offensive numbers while he his on and off the court are virtually identical – over a sample size of over 12,000 minutes.
Paying Sexton long-term could lock in a future where the Cavs have the league's smallest backcourt and largest frontcourt, making them vulnerable to perimeter shot creators with size, the kind that has proven to be invaluable in postseason play.
All of that said, any team would be foolish to surrender a talented scorer like Sexton for nothing. A small-market team like Cleveland would be outright negligent. He is likely to get his extension, especially with the entire core being so young.
Garland, Sexton, Mobley and Allen have played less than 120 minutes on the floor together, and Cleveland's brass is likely to want to see them grow a bit more together.
Plus, teams in markets that are not free agency destinations simply do not have the luxury of being so choosy about trying to construct the ideal roster.
Although this Cavs team has some quirks that might project into a playoff ceiling in the future, Cleveland's front office has organically built a fun team – and one that appears to be a winner.
That is something the Cavs haven't done without LeBron James since last century.
Dan Biggar fears a "huge step backwards" if there are no crowds allowed at matches moving into 2022.
While crowds at sporting events have yet to be capped in England, matches in Wales and Scotland are now limited when it comes to capacity, amid a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.
Wales' first minister Mark Drakeford has not put any timescale on when the restrictions will be lifted, with the Six Nations set to start on February 5.
Scotland will formally review their measures on January 11, while France – where over 18,000 people were in hospital with COVID-19 as of December 30 – has imposed restrictions on travellers from the United Kingdom, with their government insisting that all sportspeople must be fully vaccinated by mid-January in order to enter the country.
Italy, likewise, is experiencing unprecedented levels of new recorded cases of the virus as the Omicron variant spreads across Europe.
But Wales fly-half Biggar believes banning spectators would be a frustrating move that will only damage the game.
"It would be a huge, huge step backwards if there are no crowds moving forwards for clubs and the Six Nations which is obviously such a showpiece event," he told reporters.
"You saw it in the autumn, getting crowds back. Everyone coming to games now has to have a passport, they'll be double or triple-jabbed, and it's an outdoor event so I don't see why they wouldn't be allowed in.
"As long as it's safe, that's the most important thing.
"I hope for an event like the Six Nations and for the game up and down the UK moving forward we get some sort of sensible outcome.
"As long as everyone is safe and jabbed then I think it makes sense to keep crowds in. I think you would have seen a different [Northampton against Harlequins] game if the stadium had been completely empty.
"We played a lot of games with no crowds but if you look at the first handful of games they almost felt like training games.
"It felt like it did not really matter whether you won or lost because it felt like a training match and like the intensity was knocked out of it. You lose any advantage of playing at home and bits and pieces like that.
"I think it would be a huge step backwards if crowds were to go. I think the rest of the lads in Wales are pretty frustrated with it. That's normal frustration isn't it?
"We are probably getting into different things with politics now but I think everything should be aligned."
Wales, the defending Six Nations champions, start their campaign against Ireland on February 5, with their first home game scheduled for February 12, against Scotland.
Rajon Rondo has reportedly been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Athletic's Shams Chanaria reported the two sides had agreed to a deal to give the Cavs crucial backcourt help following an injury to Ricky Rubio.
Rubio suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Cleveland's game with the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.
He had played a critical creative role for the Cavs, who are fifth in the Eastern Conference at 20-15. His 6.6 assists per game rank 15th in the NBA.
Rondo, 35, will look to help fill the void having received limited playing time for the Lakers this season.
His average of 16.1 minutes per game is the lowest of Rondo's career, which is in its 16th year.
Unsurprisingly given his minutes, Rondo is averaging career-lows in points per game (3.1) and assists (3.7) while he is shooting at a career-low 32.4 per cent from the field.
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