Don’t get me wrong here; I wholeheartedly believe the Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the top four, if not top two, teams in the entire NBA. However, the Cavs have been significantly outplayed in all but three of their back-to-back games this season.
While not a fantastic excuse, the Cavaliers being the oldest team in the NBA does pull some weight when playing back-to-back.
They are the only team in the NBA to have an average age of over 30, and while this does not directly impact their athleticism, it does impact their stamina, their on-court play, and most importantly their motivation to play through a second straight game while already being a top team in the East.