By defeating Chicago on Tuesday, the Cavaliers secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2016, as ESPN.com relays.
“Yeah, I mean I think you celebrate these moments,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “You know, we’ll talk about going forward, what that looks like, but today, tonight we celebrate. And, you know, I think the guys are super happy in that locker room.”
Cleveland’s victory also means that the defending champion Celtics are locked into the No. 2 seed in the East entering the playoffs.
Atkinson said he’ll discuss with his coaching staff and players the plan for the final three games of the season, with resting regulars one option. He said he would prefer Donovan Mitchell to sit the remaining regular season contests to fully heal after sustaining a left ankle sprain on Sunday. Mitchell missed Tuesday’s game with the injury.
“I think there are various options on the table. It’s going to be a collaborative thing and the players are part of it,” Atkinson said. “What is their feel on rhythm? We can do intrasquad scrimmages to prepare. We can do a lot of things to get ready.”
The Rockets didn’t play on Tuesday, but they clinched the No. 2 seed in the West when the Thunder beat the Lakers, notes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. The Thunder secured the West’s top seed three weeks ago.
Unlike the East, where the six guaranteed playoff spots were already known last week, the three through six spots in the West are still up for grabs. Only two games separate the No. 3 Lakers from the No. 8 Timberwolves with the regular season set to conclude on Sunday.