1988–89 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 1988–89 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 19th season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association.^[2] During the off-season, the team signed free agent Tree Rollins,^[3][4][5] and acquired Darnell Valentine from the Miami Heat expansion team.^[6][7]

The Cavaliers started the regular season with a 133–93 road win over the expansion Charlotte Hornets, at the Charlotte Coliseum on November 4, 1988, which was the Hornets' first game in franchise history.^[8][9][10] The Cavaliers won 11 of their first 14 games of the season, posted an 11-game winning streak between December and January, which led to a successful 24–5 start,^[11][12] and later on held a 35–11 record at the All-Star break.^[13] The Cavaliers posted a six-game winning streak between February and March, and finished in second place in the Central Division with a franchise-best 57–25 record, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference;^[14] their record was tied for second-best in the NBA along with the Los Angeles Lakers during the regular season.

Brad Daugherty averaged 18.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, while Mark Price averaged 18.9 points, 8.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game, led the Cavaliers with 93 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. In addition, Ron Harper contributed 18.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while Larry Nance provided the team with 17.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and sixth man Hot Rod Williams averaged 11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game off the bench. Meanwhile, Mike Sanders provided with 9.3 points per game, Craig Ehlo contributed 7.4 points, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and Valentine averaged 4.8 points and 2.3 assists per game.^[15]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, Price, Daugherty and Nance were all selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, while head coach Lenny Wilkens was selected to coach the Eastern Conference; it was Price's first ever All-Star appearance.^[16][17][18] Despite a stellar season, Harper was not selected for the All-Star Game.^[19][20][21] In addition, Harper participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest for the second time; Nance was also selected for the Slam Dunk Contest, but did not participate.^[22][23] Price finished in tenth place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Daugherty finished tied in eleventh place, and Nance finished tied in 13th place;^[24][25] Williams finished tied in sixth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting,^[26][25] and Wilkens finished in third place in Coach of the Year voting.^[27][25]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1989 NBA playoffs, the Cavaliers faced off against the 6th–seeded Chicago Bulls, who were led by All-Star guard Michael Jordan, and second-year stars, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. The Bulls took a 2–1 series lead, but the Cavaliers managed to win Game 4 on the road in overtime, 108–105 at the Chicago Stadium to even the series.^[28][29][30] However, the Cavaliers lost Game 5 to the Bulls at home, 101–100 at the Coliseum at Richfield, in which Jordan hit a memorable series-clinching shot over Ehlo at the buzzer; the Cavaliers lost the series to the Bulls in five hard-fought games.^[31][32][33]

The Cavaliers finished fifth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 721,426 at the Coliseum at Richfield during the regular season.^[15][34] Following the season, Sanders signed as a free agent with the Indiana Pacers,^[35][36][37] and Valentine was released to free agency.