The Cleveland Cavaliers kept their winning ways going on Monday night, beating the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 117-109. That’s now seven straight victories for the Cavs, who sit at 38-22 on the season.
Following the game, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich made sure to give JB Bickerstaff and the rest of the roster their respect.
“We played a hell of a team. Coach Bickerstaff does a great job with those guys. They execute, they’re aggressive, and really play some good, solid defense, which is really going to serve them well in the playoffs,” Popovich said, via Bally Sports Southwest.
Catching the eye of a legend like Coach Pop definitely means something and he knows how crucial defense is in the pursuit of a title.
It’s well known the Cavs pride themselves on stopping their opponents, ranking first in the Association in defensive rating. They’re allowing just 105.9 PPG, which is top dog in the NBA. There was no shortage of brilliance offensively on Monday either though, with Donovan Mitchell erupting for 41 points to lead the charge.
Elsewhere, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley all finished with a minimum of 15 points. They say defense wins championships and it’s clear Cleveland has that area covered. It simply comes down to staying consistent, especially when we’re talking about scoring the rock.
The Cavs’ unbeaten run will be tested this week as they face the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets on back-to-back nights, two of the better teams around. The Sixers could even be a possible opponent in the postseason, too.
