Some fans were worried that the Portland Trail Blazers would pose a serious threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon.
Sure enough, they were, but the Cavs were able to pull off a 133-129 win in overtime.
It was a hard-fought battle and Max Strus had some comments about it afterward.
“Resilience. Grit. You can say all of that. But it’s just the belief in each other. The belief in this locker room. We’re never out,” Strus said, according to Evan Dammarell.
“Resilience. Grit. You can say all of that. But it’s just the belief in each other. The belief in this locker room. We’re never out.”#Cavs forward Max Strus on tonight’s win over Portland.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) March 3, 2025
That belief among the players is a major part of why the Cavaliers have been so successful this year.
Last summer, there were plenty of people who felt the roster needed to be broken up.
They said that pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, for example, wasn’t going to work and some even suggested that Darius Garland be sent to another team.
The front office and the players weren’t listening and they stuck with the team they had, believing that greater things were possible.
So far in 2024-25, they have delivered.
Yes, the roster has changed a bit, but that sense of belief has been there for well over a year.
Following their win over the Blazers, the Cavaliers have a 50-10 record.
They have been the best team in the East since the start of the year and there has never been a point when the players have felt they wouldn’t go far.
Even as others wrote them off, the Cavaliers held strongly to their confidence and it’s paying off.
This is the exact sort of confidence the team needs before the playoffs.
If they can prove themselves in the playoffs like they have in the regular season, a title could be right around the corner.
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