70 wins is hard to achieve in a typical NBA season. Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers are experiencing this firsthand.
Only two teams in NBA history have achieved the feat in the regular season: the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (72-10) and 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (73-9). The Cavaliers still have a chance to accomplish it, but following Tuesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, they must go undefeated to reach 70 wins.
Mitchell reflected on the potential accomplishment after the loss, per The Athletic‘s Joe Vardon. He emphasized the team’s health and performance comes first over the feat, while stating two goals that he and the unit must achieve.
“You want to be healthy and playing the right way. If that comes with it then, yeah, (clinching the No. 1 overall seed matters). We’re competitors, and we want to be the best of the best. But at the end of the day, we want to be healthy, playing the right way and taking these tests, and if we don’t (finish ahead of Oklahoma City), then we don’t,” Mitchell said.
What’s next for Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
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Donovan Mitchell naming the goals for the Cavaliers is noteworthy, considering the value they’re placing on their performances over the allure of being the third 70-win team in NBA history.
The Cavaliers still have a chance to make franchise history even if they don’t reach 70 wins. They remain on pace to surpass their best regular season performance in franchise history; it happened in the 2008-09 campaign when they finished 66-16. Accomplishing that will be a solid consolation prize for the fans to witness from this current generation of Cleveland basketball.
Cleveland has a 56-12 record on the season, maintaining the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They have a 6.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics, while being even with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the league.
Following Tuesday’s defeat to the Clippers, the Cavaliers will look to bounce back in their next road matchup. They face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET.
