CLEVELAND (AP) 鈥� The win total is growing quickly, and so is the Cavaliers' confidence.
At 8-0 so far, they're the only unbeaten team left in the Eastern Conference and at this point they might as well win them all.
鈥淭hat's the plan,鈥� center Jarrett Allen said with a wide smile.
The Cavs kept their unblemished record intact on Monday night with a , who pushed Cleveland to the absolute limit despite playing without injured two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Darius Garland scored 39 points to pace the Cavs, outdueling Bucks star Damian Lillard in the final minutes as the point guards put on a dazzling display of shot-making to the delight of another rocking crowd inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
鈥淚t was amazing,鈥� said Garland, who made 7 of 11 3-pointers, including a go-ahead one with 45 seconds left that put the Cavs up 113-111. 鈥淚 grew up watching Dame. It was super cool playing some 1-on-1 basketball.鈥�
It's been team ball that has gotten Cleveland off to its pristine start.
With the win, the Cavs matched the best start in franchise history, equaling the 1976-77 Cavs, who went 8-0 before finishing 43-39 under coach Bill Fitch.
鈥淲e're not doing that,鈥� All-Star Donovan Mitchell said, cutting off a reporter who mentioned the franchise record for fear of jinxing the team's early run. 鈥淚 did know that. It's great. Obviously, you want to enjoy the little things on the road and it's great to have that, but at the end of the day it's been eight games."
Maybe so, but the Cavs have won them all under first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, and they've done it with a new catalyst emerging almost every night.
鈥淲e've won in so many different ways,鈥� said Mitchell, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Cavs this summer. 鈥淭hat's been more impressive to me than the eight wins, just how we've done it. We've had blowouts. We've had close games. We've come back. Every night it's somebody new.鈥�
Atkinson has been willing to go deep in his bench almost every game. Although he was missing starter Dean Wade and top reserve Caris LeVert against the Bucks because of injuries, he used 10 players, including rookie Luke Travers, who appeared in just his second game.
鈥淚t just shows the belief in the group, from top to bottom,鈥� said Mitchell, who beat the Bucks on Saturday with a jumper in the final second. 鈥淎nd the belief we have in each other.鈥�
The Cavs know the first loss will come at some point, and it's unlikely they'll threaten the NBA record held by the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who opened 24-0. But they're having fun and nothing is more fun than winning.
鈥淲e're all just locked in,鈥� Garland said.
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AP NBA:
Tom Withers, The Associated Press
