Cavs complete long climb back to NBA playoffs without LeBron
By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer
CLEVELAND (AP) — Five years felt like 50 for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They ended their modest NBA playoff drought on Sunday night with a win over Houston. The Cavs are back in the postseason for the first time since 2018, when their run of four straight Finals appearances was followed by LeBron James leaving for the second time as a free agent. But after enduring two 19-win seasons, coaching changes and roster turnover, the Cavs are back in the playoffs with bigger goals in mind. They’ve won 9 of 11 and are just two games behind Philadelphia for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with two weeks left in the regular season.