Critical Stretch Of Games Coming Up For Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers will face five (current) NBA Playoff teams in their next six games.

As it stands on the afternoon of March 3, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the second seed in the Eastern Conference. They have a slight edge over the Milwaukee Bucks who have one more loss than the wine and gold do and they're eight games back of the Boston Celtics who hold the one seed.

There's still a lot of basketball to play before the Playoffs start in April. However, the next stretch of games will be critical for the Cavaliers to stay on pace and see exactly where they sit in terms of the NBA's top teams.

Here are the next six opponents that Cleveland will play:

• March 3: New York Knicks 
• March 5: Boston Celtics
• March 6: Atlanta Hawks
• March 9: Minnesota Timberwolves
• March 10: Brooklyn Nets
• March 11: Phoenix Suns

All but one of those teams (the Nets) are either currently in the playoff picture or play-in tournament. Then there are the Celtics and Timberwolves who are each at the top of their respective conference. 

There's no doubt that this will be a tough stretch for the Cavs in terms of the level of competition. Not to mention, Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert, and Isaac Okoro are all working through injuries making everything more difficult. 

Feb 25, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) dribbles towards the basket during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The one silver lining is that the only game that won't be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is Cleveland's matchup with the Hawks. Staying at home during this stretch will at least help the team find some consistency off the floor.

J.B. Bickerstaff has been saying since last season that this group needs playoff-like moments and atmosphere to learn how to prepare for the real thing. The upcoming calendar will give the Cavaliers plenty of experience in high-intensity games.