The Cleveland Cavaliers have won four games in a row and sit in firm possession of fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Still, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was in a foul mood Tuesday following the team’s 136-131 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Cleveland will attempt to extend its winning streak Wednesday night as it completes a back-to-back home set with a game against the Miami Heat.
Donovan Mitchell scored 42 points and James Harden had 26 to go with seven assists in the triumph over Orlando. The key number to Atkinson, though, was the 131 points scored by the Magic.
It was the most points allowed by the Cavaliers (45-27) in more than two months, and the third time they have surrendered at least 128 in the past seven games.
“I just told the team in the locker room, if we’re going to play defense like this, we’re going to have a short playoff stint,” a visibly unhappy Atkinson said. “… We’re way too tilted to the offense, and that’s where we’ve got to switch our mentality.
“Our leaders have got to take ownership of defending better.”
Mitchell and swingman Max Strus shared Atkinson’s displeasure, pointing out specific mistakes against Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane that allowed Orlando to cut its 11-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to three in the closing seconds.
The Cavaliers’ duo had a polite but pointed exchange on the sideline in the third quarter. It was one of several among Cleveland players during the second half, prompting Mitchell to say his coach “was not wrong.”
“I don’t think any of us have any problem holding each other accountable,” Mitchell said. “It’s not combative. We’ve got guys who are mature. But we’ve got to find a way to be better. We know that.”
Help could be on the way during consecutive contests against Miami — the teams also will meet Friday night in Cleveland. The Cavaliers’ former All-Star center, Jarrett Allen, might return from a right knee issue that has sidelined him since March 3.
Cleveland has missed Allen’s presence even more than the 15.3 points and 8.5 rebounds he is averaging.
“We can say J.A.’s not playing and our defense is predicated on him, sure, but we have 10 games left,” Mitchell said. “It’s time to get this straightened out.”
The Cavaliers trail the third-place New York Knicks by 2 1/2 games in the East and lead the fifth-place Toronto Raptors by 4 1/2 games. The Atlanta Hawks trail the Raptors by one-half game.
Miami (38-34) is part of a three-way tie for eighth place with Orlando and the surging Charlotte Hornets but could work its way up to fifth and a second straight playoff matchup with Cleveland. The Heat have lost five straight games, however.
“It’s got to happen quickly,” said Miami shooting guard Norman Powell, who is averaging 22.3 points a game. “It’s going to take us being locked in on the in-between days, working on our stuff and finding that rhythm. That’s been the biggest issue with guys in and out of the lineup, myself included.”
The Heat will be at full strength for a second consecutive game, a rarity for any team in late March, now that Powell is back from a calf injury. Coach Erik Spoelstra curiously has brought the first-time All-Star off the bench in three of his last four appearances.
Powell scored 21 points and Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro each had 18 in a 136-111 home loss Monday to the San Antonio Spurs.
“We all feel pretty good about our identity and how we want to play,” Spoelstra said. “Now it’s just a matter of doing it in these moments of truth.”
