Kenny Atkinson likes what he sees so far from Cavs

CLEVELAND — It's time for some home cooking. Starting with the Toronto game Thursday night, the Cavaliers play six consecutive games at home. So far this season, they are 4-1 at Rocket Arena.Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said he believes the team's 8-4 record is a "good springboard" for bigger and better things to come. "It's especially good to get home after a good win (Wednesday in Miami)," he said. "We have a good stretch coming up. We have to muster our energy. We have a stretch of games to make up some ground." The Cavs got to Cleveland at 3 a.m. after flying home from South Beach. The players didn't get much sleep after the hard-fought game. Cleveland is 13-5 on the tail end of a back-to-back set. "That starts with our leaders," Atkinson said. In the Miami game on Wednesday, the Cavs emptied the bench and used everyone that was available on the roster except two-way player Chris Livingston. They got major contributions from end-of-the-bench players like Craig Porter Jr., Thomas Bryant, Tyrese Proctor, Nae'Qwan Tomlin and even Luke Travers. "(Bryant) is the perfect fourth big," Atkinson said. "He has a little bit of old school in him. He runs down the court and posts up. He has a veteran presence. His energy is contagious. I think we fed off that." Bryant had four points, seven rebounds and one block in 13 minutes of the 130-116 victory for Cleveland. The center was rewarded for running the floor in the game. "That stood out in his player profile (in free agency)," Atkinson said. "I want to encourage (Jarrett Allen) to do it more. It's something we didn't do as well last year." Porter had one of the best games of his young career with a season-high 19 points, four rebounds, nine assists and a career-high four blocks. He's the first player in Cleveland history to finish a game with that statline and the second player in NBA history to do so off the bench (Clifford Robinson was the other). Proctor, the Cavs' second-round pick from Duke, added 12 points and two assists. Atkinson said the coaches and veteran players are starting to trust Cleveland's youngsters. "Getting respect from the veteran players is important," the coach said. "It's helping the team chemistry. It could be a catalyst (for winning ways)." The Cavs' offense has been prolific. They lead the Eastern Conference this season in 3-pointers made (201). The Miami game Wednesday marked the fifth consecutive game that the Cavs have scored at least 128 points — the longest such streak in team history. Cleveland is averaging 135.2 points in that span. They also rank fourth in the NBA in points per game (122.9) this season. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.