The Cavaliers escaped Saturday night with a win over the Brooklyn Nets, but the final stretch again left plenty to chew on.
Cleveland improved to 1-1 on the 2026-27 NBA season with a narrow home victory, surviving after another game in which it had controlled things for long stretches before nearly letting the lead slip away. This time, the Cavs were able to finish the job against a Brooklyn team that was viewed as the lesser opponent.
Afterward, Kenny Atkinson pointed to the same issue that has already started to hang over Cleveland’s first two games: conditioning.
“I think part of this too is we’re not in elite condition right now, which is kind of normal. Second game, getting your rhythm, we’re not there.
I told the guys in the timeout we got to fight through the fatigue. I thought we had moments of fatigue,” he said, per the Cavs’ official page on YouTube, via Hoopshype.
That explanation fits what has happened on the floor. The Cavs have now put themselves in danger in back-to-back games, and the pattern is hard to ignore.
In the season opener, Cleveland gave away a 29-point advantage and lost to the Philadelphia 76ers. On Saturday, the margin didn’t disappear completely, but the late-game wobble was there again.
The concern also trails over from last spring, when Cleveland blew a historic fourth quarter lead in Game 1 of its Eastern Conference Finals series against the New York Knicks and eventually dropped that matchup in four games.
For now, the hope in Cleveland is simple: get into better shape, settle in, and stop making things so difficult on itself late.
The Cavs are back on the floor Monday with another home test, this one against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In Other News...
Mario Hezonja Already Gives The Cavs A Bench Weapon They Needed
Mario Hezonjas first game back in the NBA came with the kind of confidence the Cavaliers have been looking for on the bench. After six years away, he stepped in for Cleveland and immediately looked comfortable attacking mismatches, giving the offense a different look and providing support around the teams top scorers. Hezonja described his job simply enough: help teammates like Donovan Mitchell and James Harden by making life a little easier for them.
For a Cavs team trying to balance immediate results with bigger-picture health, that kind of presence can matter. Head coach Kenny Atkinson singled out Hezonjas performance as a positive even in a loss, which says plenty about the early impression he made. Cleveland does not need him to be a headline act, only a usable bench option who can change a stretch of a game, and his debut suggested there may be more there than a one-night cameo. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Win Couldnt Hide A Late Problem Fans Already Fear
The Cavaliers opened their home schedule with a 125-121 win over the Brooklyn Nets, and for most of the night it looked like a comfortable one. Cleveland built a sizeable halftime cushion behind strong work from Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, then spent much of the second half trying to keep Brooklyn from turning the game into something messier than it should have been.
Instead, the fourth quarter brought the sort of nervy finish that can linger for a team with bigger ambitions. The Nets kept letting fly from deep and made a real run at erasing the gap, forcing Cleveland to answer possession by possession before the Cavs finally steadied themselves at the line in the closing moments. The win counts, but the late wobble is the kind of early-season warning sign fans notice right away. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs May Have Found An Off-Bench Option Sooner Than Expected
Mario Hezonjas second game of the season gave the Cavaliers a small but encouraging glimpse of a possible off-bench spark. Against the Brooklyn Nets, he filled a limited role with points, rebounds and a steal, and he looked comfortable enough to fit into the flow without forcing things. The shot-making was part of the appeal, too, as he buried a corner 3-pointer and showed enough creativity to make a few possessions feel a little livelier than they might have otherwise.
For a Cleveland team heading into matchups with Minnesota, Washington, Atlanta and Milwaukee, those kinds of minutes matter, especially when the rotation is still taking shape. Hezonja did not need a featured role to make an impression, and the Cavaliers will now have a quick chance to see whether that early feel carries over as the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]