# 2017–18 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 2017–18 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 48th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Cavaliers entered the season as runners-up in the 2017 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in five games. This was the Cavaliers' first season without Kyrie Irving since the 2010–2011 season, as he was traded to the Boston Celtics during the offseason per his request. This trade ended the superteam era of the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers clinched their playoff berth for the fourth consecutive season since LeBron James' return to Cleveland for the 2014–15 season. In the playoffs, the Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the First Round, then swept the top-seeded Toronto Raptors in four games in the Semi-finals, before finally defeating the Boston Celtics in seven games in the conference finals. Cleveland reached the NBA Finals for the fourth straight season, despite having an injury filled roster throughout the span of the 2017–2018 season, but were swept by the defending NBA champions Golden State Warriors in four games, the first Finals sweep that occurred since 2007, when the LeBron-led Cavs were also swept by the San Antonio Spurs. For the fourth consecutive year, the two teams met in the Finals, marking LeBron James' eighth consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals and his ninth overall appearance in the championship round. This season also marked the conclusion of James' second tenure with the Cavaliers, as he opted out of his contract during the subsequent offseason and again left the Cavaliers to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, his second time leaving his hometown team after doing so in 2010 to join the Miami Heat.
With their loss in the Finals for the second consecutive year, the Cavaliers had become the first team since the 2002-03 New Jersey Nets to lose back-to-back Finals. The team would not return to the playoffs until the 2022-23 season.

## Offseason

On August 30, 2017, Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics, ending the superteam era of the Cavaliers.

### Draft

The Cavaliers did not have a pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

## Preseason summary

The Cavaliers entered the offseason having lost in five games to the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals. On June 19, 2017 – a week after the last game of the 2016–17 season – Cavaliers general manager David Griffin agreed to leave the team. During July, Cleveland competed in the MGM Resorts Summer League in Las Vegas.
During the middle of July, star point guard Kyrie Irving – citing serious concerns about the team's future and strains in his relationship with teammate LeBron James – informed the team of his desire to be traded out of Cleveland. Around that time, his list of teams he wanted to be traded to included the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and San Antonio Spurs. While James was against the idea of trading his teammate and asked the team not to trade him, Irving reportedly threatened to have knee surgery and sit out regular season games if he wasn't traded. The Cavaliers hired their new general manager, Koby Altman, on July 24, 2017, amidst the chaos surrounding Irving.
On August 22, 2017, the Cavaliers announced they had traded Irving to the Boston Celtics in exchange for point guard Isaiah Thomas, small forward Jae Crowder, center Ante Žižić, and the first-round pick from the Brooklyn Nets in the 2018 NBA draft. However, the deal was not completed until eight days later, when the Celtics added the Miami Heat's 2020 second round pick as compensation after Isaiah Thomas failed his physical. Prior to Irving's trade to the Celtics, he was almost traded to the Phoenix Suns in a 3-team deal that would send Irving and Channing Frye to Phoenix, Paul George and Eric Bledsoe to Cleveland, while the Indiana Pacers would acquire Jared Dudley, Iman Shumpert, and Josh Jackson, the Suns' top draft pick this season.
After considering signing with teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, and Houston Rockets, shooting guard Dwyane Wade signed with the Cavaliers on September 27, 2017, thus reuniting with James from their time together on the Big Three-era Miami Heat. Additionally, the Golden State Warriors also pursued Wade prior to his signing with the Cavs. Finally, on October 14, 2017, the Cavaliers traded small forward Richard Jefferson, point guard Kay Felder, two-second-round picks (including the Miami Heat's 2020 second round pick), and cash considerations to the Atlanta Hawks for the draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis and Sergiy Gladyr.

## Regular season summary

The team played their first regular season game of the year on October 17, 2017, against the Boston Celtics, when Celtics small forward Gordon Hayward gruesomely injured his leg in the first quarter. The Cavaliers would go on to defeat the Celtics, 102–99.
On January 2, 2018, Thomas made his Cavaliers debut, scoring 17 points in 19 minutes played in a 127–110 win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite this auspicious start, Thomas and the team soon began to struggle, leading to locker room unrest, including a number of public criticisms of the team by Thomas. During Thomas' brief time playing for Cleveland, the Cavaliers amassed a record of 7–8.
On February 8, 2018 – just before the NBA trade deadline – the Cavaliers radically changed their roster in a little more than an hour. First, the Cavaliers traded Thomas, power forward Channing Frye, and their own first-round pick (which was top-three protected) to the Los Angeles Lakers for power forward Larry Nance Jr. and shooting guard Jordan Clarkson. Next, the Cavaliers engaged in a three-team trade with the Sacramento Kings and the Utah Jazz. The Cavaliers received point guard George Hill and shooting guard Rodney Hood. The Kings received Joe Johnson, Iman Shumpert, the Miami Heat's 2020 second-round pick, and $3 million in cash considerations. The Jazz received Crowder and Derrick Rose. Finally, the Cavaliers traded Wade to the Miami Heat for a heavily protected 2024 second-round pick. Multiple writers argued at the time that the trades made the Cavaliers significantly better.
On March 19, 2018, the team announced that head coach Tyronn Lue would be taking a leave of absence from the team due to health issues including "chest pains and other troubling symptoms, compounded by a loss of sleep." It would later be revealed that his situation involved job-related anxiety. In his absence, associate head coach Larry Drew coached the team.
The Cavaliers clinched a place in the 2018 NBA playoffs on March 22, 2018, with the Houston Rockets' 100–96 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Lue returned to coach the Cavaliers on April 5, 2018, in a 119–115 victory over the Washington Wizards.
The Cavaliers finished the regular season with a record of 50–32, good for a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference.

## Postseason summary

In the first round of the playoffs, the fourth seeded Cavaliers faced the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers. A year before, the Cavaliers had swept the Pacers in the first round. This time around, the Cavaliers won the series in seven games. In Game 7, James put up 45 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in a 105–101 win.
The Cavaliers advanced to face the top-seeded Toronto Raptors, the same team that they defeated in the 2017 Eastern Conference semi-finals. Cleveland swept Toronto, leading to an Eastern Conference finals matchup against the second-seeded Boston Celtics for the second consecutive year.
After losing in the first two games of the series, the Cavaliers battled back to tie the series at 2–2. The Celtics won Game 5 and the Cavaliers won Game 6, setting up a pivotal Game 7 at the TD Garden. Despite playing without Kevin Love – who suffered a concussion during Game 6 that prevented him from playing in the final game of the series – the Cavaliers won Game 7, 87–79, to win the conference finals and advance to the NBA Finals for the fourth consecutive season. Additionally, James made the NBA Finals for the eighth straight season.

### 2018 NBA Finals

For the fourth straight year, the Cavaliers played the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers and the Warriors became the first teams to make the finals for the fourth consecutive season since the 1984–85 Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors entered the series as heavy favorites.

#### Game 1

The fourth quarter of Game 1 ended in controversial fashion. With the Cavaliers up 104–102 at Oracle Arena, Golden State small forward Kevin Durant was called for a charging foul when driving against LeBron James. When the referees reviewed the play to confirm that James' feet were outside of the restricted area, they opted to invoke a little-known rule and reverse the charge call into a blocking foul. Durant made both free throws to equal the score at 104. After a James layup and an and-one by Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, the Cavaliers had the ball down 107–106 with 23.5 seconds remaining in regulation.
During the ensuing possession, Golden State shooting guard Klay Thompson fouled George Hill with 4.7 seconds left, sending Hill to the free-throw line. The NBA's "Last Two Minute Report" later confirmed that Warriors forward Draymond Green had fouled James with 12.1 seconds to go in the game. If Green's foul had been noticed in real time, James – who shot 10-for-11 from the line in Game 1 – would have taken the free throws, rather than Hill. Hill tied the game at 107 by making his first free throw, then missed the second attempt. The L2M Report revealed that Green committed a lane violation on the second free throw. If it had been called in real time, Hill would have been able to retake the free throw.
Cavaliers shooting guard J. R. Smith recovered the rebound and then dribbled out the clock, appearing to have forgotten the score as well as the fact that Cleveland still had one timeout to call. The Warriors easily won the game in overtime, 124–114, leading numerous commentators – including current and former players – to accuse Smith of having cost the Cavaliers the game, as well as having wasted James' performance of 51 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Smith later claimed that he knew the game was tied, an assertion belied by the visual evidence as well as the testimony of Tyronn Lue.
After the game, James punched a blackboard with his right hand in an expression of his frustration with the team's level of play. The impact of the punch broke his hand. James played through the injury for the rest of the series without revealing it to the media or the general public, and news of the event did not emerge until after the series had ended.

#### Game 2

Golden State beat Cleveland handily in Game 2, 122–103. Playing through an eye injury that he suffered during Game 1, James posted 29 points, nine rebounds, and 13 assists.

#### Game 3

In Game 3 at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers raced out to an early 14–4 advantage and led for the entire first half, but the Warriors trimmed the host's lead to six by halftime. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson struggled for most of the contest: each of the Splash Brothers only scored 11 points, with Curry in particular shooting just 3-of-16 from the field. Nevertheless, the Warriors claimed a 110–102 victory, thanks in large part to Kevin Durant's 43 points and 13 rebounds. Durant sealed the victory with a long three-pointer with 49.8 seconds left to extend the Warriors' lead to six.

#### Game 4

Golden State held a nine-point lead at halftime, 61–52. The Warriors – as they had throughout the season – built their lead further in the third quarter and entered the last period of play with an 86–65 advantage. LeBron James departed the game with 4:03 left in the fourth quarter, with small forward Cedi Osman replacing him. James received a standing ovation from the crowd. His final stat line included 23 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Over the course of the series, James averaged 34 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 10 assists.
With their 108–85 victory, the Warriors sealed their sweep of the Cavaliers and their third championship in four seasons. Kevin Durant received the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award for the second consecutive year. James' record in NBA Finals series fell to 3–6. The Cavaliers became the ninth team to be swept in the NBA Finals. Incidentally, the last team to suffer that fate was also the Cavaliers, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in four games in the 2007 NBA Finals.

## Standings
### Division

| Central Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
| y – Cleveland Cavaliers | 50 | 32 | .610 | – | 29‍–‍12 | 21‍–‍20 | 11–5 | 82 |
| x – Indiana Pacers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2.0 | 27‍–‍14 | 21‍–‍20 | 10–6 | 82 |
| x – Milwaukee Bucks | 44 | 38 | .537 | 6.0 | 25‍–‍16 | 19‍–‍22 | 6–10 | 82 |
| Detroit Pistons | 39 | 43 | .476 | 11.0 | 25‍–‍16 | 14‍–‍27 | 9–7 | 82 |
| Chicago Bulls | 27 | 55 | .329 | 23.0 | 17‍–‍24 | 10‍–‍31 | 4–12 | 82 |

### Conference

Eastern Conference :
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Toronto Raptors * | 59 | 23 | .720 | – | 82 |
| 2 | x – Boston Celtics | 55 | 27 | .671 | 4.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x – Philadelphia 76ers | 52 | 30 | .634 | 7.0 | 82 |
| 4 | y – Cleveland Cavaliers * | 50 | 32 | .610 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Indiana Pacers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 11.0 | 82 |
| 6 | y – Miami Heat * | 44 | 38 | .537 | 15.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – Milwaukee Bucks | 44 | 38 | .537 | 15.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Washington Wizards | 43 | 39 | .524 | 16.0 | 82 |
| 9 | Detroit Pistons | 39 | 43 | .476 | 20.0 | 82 |
| 10 | Charlotte Hornets | 36 | 46 | .439 | 23.0 | 82 |
| 11 | New York Knicks | 29 | 53 | .354 | 30.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Brooklyn Nets | 28 | 54 | .341 | 31.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Chicago Bulls | 27 | 55 | .329 | 32.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Orlando Magic | 25 | 57 | .305 | 34.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks | 24 | 58 | .293 | 35.0 | 82 |

## Game log
### Preseason

2017 pre-season game log Total: 1–4 (home: 0–3; road: 1–1) :
Pre-season: 1–4 (home: 0–3; road: 1–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
1
October 4
Atlanta
L 93–109
Kay Felder (13)
Ante Zizic (6)
Dwyane Wade (4)
Quicken Loans Arena 18,221
0–1
2
October 6
Indiana
L 102–106
Dwyane Wade (20)
Tristan Thompson (8)
Calderon, Love (5)
Quicken Loans Arena 19,432
0–2
3
October 8
@ Washington
L 94–102
Jeff Green (19)
Green, Zizic (7)
Kay Felder (11)
Capital One Arena 12,984
0–3
4
October 10
Chicago
L 94–108
LeBron James (17)
Tristan Thompson (11)
Derrick Rose (5)
Quicken Loans Arena 19,042
0–4
5
October 13
@ Orlando
W 113–106
Jose Calderon (18)
Channing Frye (10)
Jose Calderon (5)
Amway Center 19,053
1–4 :
2017–18 season schedule :

### Regular season

2017–18 game log Total: 50–32 (home: 29–12; road: 21–20) :
October: 3–4 (home: 2–2; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
1
October 17
Boston
W 102–99
LeBron James (29)
LeBron James (16)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
1–0
2
October 20
@ Milwaukee
W 116–97
LeBron James (24)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (8)
Bradley Center 18,717
2–0
3
October 21
Orlando
L 93–114
LeBron James (22)
Kevin Love (9)
Dwyane Wade (4)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
2–1
4
October 24
Chicago
W 119–112
LeBron James (34)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (13)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
3–1
5
October 25
@ Brooklyn
L 107–112
LeBron James (29)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (13)
Barclays Center 17,732
3–2
6
October 28
@ New Orleans
L 101–123
Kevin Love (26)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (8)
Smoothie King Center 18,539
3–3
7
October 29
New York
L 95–114
Kevin Love (22)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
3–4 :
November: 12–3 (home: 5–2; road: 7–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
8
November 1
Indiana
L 107–124
LeBron James (33)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
3–5
9
November 3
@ Washington
W 130–122
LeBron James (57)
LeBron James (11)
LeBron James (7)
Capital One Arena 20,356
4–5
10
November 5
Atlanta
L 115–117
LeBron James (26)
Dwyane Wade (11)
LeBron James (13)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
4–6
11
November 7
Milwaukee
W 124–119
Kevin Love (32)
Kevin Love (16)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
5–6
12
November 9
@ Houston
L 113–117
LeBron James (33)
Kevin Love (6)
LeBron James (7)
Toyota Center 18,055
5–7
13
November 11
@ Dallas
W 111–104
Kevin Love (29)
Kevin Love (15)
LeBron James (4)
American Airlines Center 20,378
6–7
14
November 13
@ NY Knicks
W 104–101
LeBron James (23)
LeBron James (9)
LeBron James (12)
Madison Square Garden 19,812
7–7
15
November 15
@ Charlotte
W 115–107
LeBron James (31)
Kevin Love (10)
LeBron James (8)
Spectrum Center 19,427
8–7
16
November 17
L.A. Clippers
W 118–113 (OT)
LeBron James (39)
LeBron James (14)
LeBron James (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
9–7
17
November 20
@ Detroit
W 116–88
Kevin Love (19)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (8)
Little Caesars Arena 20,587
10–7
18
November 22
Brooklyn
W 119–109
LeBron James (33)
Kevin Love (10)
James, Wade (5)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
11–7
19
November 24
Charlotte
W 100–99
LeBron James (27)
LeBron James (16)
LeBron James (13)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
12–7
20
November 27
@ Philadelphia
W 113–91
LeBron James (30)
LeBron James (13)
LeBron James (6)
Wells Fargo Center 20,527
13–7
21
November 28
Miami
W 108–97
Kevin Love (38)
LeBron James (12)
LeBron James (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
14–7
22
November 30
@ Atlanta
W 121–114
Kevin Love (25)
Kevin Love (16)
LeBron James (12)
Philips Arena 16,379
15–7 :
December: 9–5 (home: 7–0; road: 2–5)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
23
December 2
Memphis
W 116–111
LeBron James (34)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (12)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
16–7
24
December 4
@ Chicago
W 113–91
Kevin Love (24)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (6)
United Center 21,323
17–7
25
December 6
Sacramento
W 101–95
LeBron James (32)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
18–7
26
December 8
@ Indiana
L 102–106
LeBron James (29)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (8)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse 17,032
18–8
27
December 9
Philadelphia
W 105–98
LeBron James (30)
LeBron James (13)
LeBron James (13)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
19–8
28
December 12
Atlanta
W 123–114
LeBron James (25)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (17)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
20–8
29
December 14
L.A. Lakers
W 121–112
Kevin Love (28)
LeBron James (12)
LeBron James (12)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
21–8
30
December 16
Utah
W 109–100
LeBron James (29)
LeBron James (11)
LeBron James (10)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
22–8
31
December 17
@ Washington
W 106–99
Kevin Love (25)
LeBron James (12)
LeBron James (15)
Capital One Arena 20,356
23–8
32
December 19
@ Milwaukee
L 116–119
LeBron James (39)
Kevin Love (10)
LeBron James (7)
Bradley Center 18,717
23–9
33
December 21
Chicago
W 115–112
LeBron James (34)
Kevin Love (7)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
24–9
34
December 25
@ Golden State
L 92–99
Kevin Love (31)
Kevin Love (18)
LeBron James (6)
Oracle Arena 19,596
24–10
35
December 27
@ Sacramento
L 95–109
Kevin Love (23)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (14)
Golden 1 Center 17,583
24–11
36
December 30
@ Utah
L 101–104
LeBron James (29)
Kevin Love (10)
LeBron James (6)
Vivint Smart Home Arena 18,306
24–12 :
January: 6–8 (home: 5–2; road: 1–6)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
37
January 2
Portland
W 127–110
LeBron James (24)
Tristan Thompson (8)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
25–12
38
January 3
@ Boston
L 88–102
LeBron James (19)
Tristan Thompson (11)
LeBron James (6)
TD Garden 18,624
25–13
39
January 6
@ Orlando
W 131–127
LeBron James (33)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (9)
Amway Center 18,997
26–13
40
January 8
@ Minnesota
L 99–127
Jeff Green (22)
James, Thompson (8)
Dwyane Wade (6)
Target Center 18,978
26–14
41
January 11
@ Toronto
L 99–133
LeBron James (26)
Kevin Love (9)
Isaiah Thomas (3)
Air Canada Centre 19,923
26–15
42
January 12
@ Indiana
L 95–97
LeBron James (27)
Kevin Love (10)
LeBron James (11)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse 17,923
26–16
43
January 15
Golden State
L 108–118
LeBron James (32)
James, Thompson (8)
LeBron James (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
26–17
44
January 18
Orlando
W 104–103
Isaiah Thomas (21)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
27–17
45
January 20
Oklahoma City
L 124–148
Isaiah Thomas (24)
Tristan Thompson (7)
LeBron James (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
27–18
46
January 23
@ San Antonio
L 102–114
LeBron James (28)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (7)
AT&T Center 18,418
27–19
47
January 26
Indiana
W 115–108
LeBron James (26)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
28–19
48
January 28
Detroit
W 121–104
LeBron James (25)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (14)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
29–19
49
January 30
@ Detroit
L 114–125
LeBron James (21)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (7)
Little Caesars Arena 18,508
29–20
50
January 31
Miami
W 91–89
LeBron James (24)
LeBron James (11)
Isaiah Thomas (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
30–20 :
February: 6–4 (home: 2–3; road: 4–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
51
February 3
Houston
L 88–120
Thomas, Smith (12)
LeBron James (9)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
30–21
52
February 6
@ Orlando
L 98–116
LeBron James (25)
LeBron James (10)
Isaiah Thomas (8)
Amway Center 18,846
30–22
53
February 7
Minnesota
W 140–138 (OT)
LeBron James (37)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (15)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
31–22
54
February 9
@ Atlanta
W 123–107
Kyle Korver (30)
LeBron James (12)
LeBron James (17)
Philips Arena 16,438
32–22
55
February 11
@ Boston
W 121–99
LeBron James (24)
LeBron James (8)
LeBron James (10)
TD Garden 18,624
33–22
56
February 13
@ Oklahoma City
W 120–112
LeBron James (37)
Larry Nance Jr. (9)
LeBron James (8)
Chesapeake Energy Arena 18,203
34–22
57
February 22
Washington
L 103–110
LeBron James (32)
James, Thompson (9)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
34–23
58
February 23
@ Memphis
W 112–89
Hill, James (18)
LeBron James (14)
LeBron James (11)
FedExForum 18,119
35–23
59
February 25
San Antonio
L 94–110
LeBron James (33)
James, Thompson (13)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
35–24
60
February 27
Brooklyn
W 129–123
LeBron James (31)
Tristan Thompson (13)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
36–24 :
March: 10–6 (home: 5–2; road: 5–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
61
March 1
Philadelphia
L 97–108
LeBron James (30)
Tristan Thompson (11)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
36–25
62
March 3
Denver
L 117–126
LeBron James (25)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (15)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
36–26
63
March 5
Detroit
W 112–90
LeBron James (31)
Larry Nance Jr. (15)
LeBron James (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
37–26
64
March 7
@ Denver
W 113–108
LeBron James (39)
Larry Nance Jr. (13)
LeBron James (10)
Pepsi Center 20,062
38–26
65
March 9
@ L.A. Clippers
L 102–116
LeBron James (25)
Larry Nance Jr. (12)
LeBron James (6)
Staples Center 19,130
38–27
66
March 11
@ L.A. Lakers
L 113–127
LeBron James (24)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (7)
Staples Center 18,997
38–28
67
March 13
@ Phoenix
W 129–107
LeBron James (28)
LeBron James (13)
LeBron James (11)
Talking Stick Resort Arena 18,055
39–28
68
March 15
@ Portland
L 105–113
LeBron James (35)
LeBron James (14)
LeBron James (6)
Moda Center 19,806
39–29
69
March 17
@ Chicago
W 114–109
LeBron James (33)
LeBron James (12)
LeBron James (12)
United Center 22,983
40–29
70
March 19
Milwaukee
W 124–117
LeBron James (40)
LeBron James (12)
LeBron James (10)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
41–29
71
March 21
Toronto
W 132–129
LeBron James (35)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (17)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
42–29
72
March 23
Phoenix
W 120–95
LeBron James (27)
Nance Jr., Thompson (10)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
43–29
73
March 25
@ Brooklyn
W 121–114
LeBron James (37)
Kevin Love (15)
LeBron James (8)
Barclays Center 17,732
44–29
74
March 27
@ Miami
L 79–98
LeBron James (18)
Tristan Thompson (13)
LeBron James (7)
American Airlines Arena 20,093
44–30
75
March 28
@ Charlotte
W 118–105
LeBron James (41)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (8)
Spectrum Center 19,474
45–30
76
March 30
New Orleans
W 107–102
LeBron James (27)
Tristan Thompson (14)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
46–30 :
April: 4–2 (home: 3–1; road: 1–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
77
April 1
Dallas
W 98–87
Clarkson, James (16)
James, Love (13)
LeBron James (12)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
47–30
78
April 3
Toronto
W 112–106
LeBron James (27)
Kevin Love (15)
LeBron James (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
48–30
79
April 5
Washington
W 119–115
LeBron James (33)
Larry Nance Jr. (10)
LeBron James (14)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
49–30
80
April 6
@ Philadelphia
L 130–132
LeBron James (44)
LeBron James (11)
LeBron James (11)
Wells Fargo Center 20,769
49–31
81
April 9
@ NY Knicks
W 123–109
Kevin Love (28)
J. R. Smith (7)
LeBron James (11)
Madison Square Garden 19,449
50–31
82
April 11
NY Knicks
L 98–110
Ante Zizic (20)
Tristan Thompson (9)
Cedi Osman (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
50–32 :
2017–18 season schedule :

### Playoffs

2018 playoff game log Total: 12–10 (home: 8–3; road: 4–7) :
First Round: 4–3 (home: 3–1; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
1
April 15
Indiana
L 80–98
LeBron James (24)
Kevin Love (17)
LeBron James (12)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
0–1
2
April 18
Indiana
W 100–97
LeBron James (46)
LeBron James (12)
LeBron James (5)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
1–1
3
April 20
@ Indiana
L 90–92
LeBron James (28)
LeBron James (12)
LeBron James (8)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse 17,923
1–2
4
April 22
@ Indiana
W 104–100
LeBron James (32)
LeBron James (13)
LeBron James (7)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse 17,923
2–2
5
April 25
Indiana
W 98–95
LeBron James (44)
James, Love (10)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
3–2
6
April 27
@ Indiana
L 87–121
LeBron James (22)
Kevin Love (7)
LeBron James (7)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse 17,923
3–3
7
April 29
Indiana
W 105–101
LeBron James (45)
Tristan Thompson (10)
LeBron James (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
4–3 :
Conference Semifinals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
May 1
@ Toronto
W 113–112 (OT)
LeBron James (26)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (13)
Air Canada Centre 19,954
1–0
2
May 3
@ Toronto
W 128–110
LeBron James (43)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (14)
Air Canada Centre 20,127
2–0
3
May 5
Toronto
W 105–103
LeBron James (38)
Kevin Love (16)
LeBron James (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
3–0
4
May 7
Toronto
W 128–93
LeBron James (29)
LeBron James (8)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
4–0 :
Conference Finals: 4–3 (home: 3–0; road: 1–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
May 13
@ Boston
L 83–108
Kevin Love (17)
Tristan Thompson (11)
LeBron James (9)
TD Garden 18,624
0–1
2
May 15
@ Boston
L 94–107
LeBron James (42)
Kevin Love (15)
LeBron James (12)
TD Garden 18,624
0–2
3
May 19
Boston
W 116–86
LeBron James (27)
Kevin Love (14)
LeBron James (12)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
1–2
4
May 21
Boston
W 111–102
LeBron James (44)
Tristan Thompson (12)
Hill, James, Love, Smith (3)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
2–2
5
May 23
@ Boston
L 83–96
LeBron James (26)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (5)
TD Garden 18,624
2–3
6
May 25
Boston
W 109–99
LeBron James (46)
LeBron James (11)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
3–3
7
May 27
@ Boston
W 87–79
LeBron James (35)
LeBron James (15)
LeBron James (9)
TD Garden 18,624
4–3 :
NBA Finals: 0–4 (home: 0–2; road: 0–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
May 31
@ Golden State
L 114–124 (OT)
LeBron James (51)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (8)
Oracle Arena 19,596
0–1
2
June 3
@ Golden State
L 103–122
LeBron James (29)
Kevin Love (10)
LeBron James (13)
Oracle Arena 19,596
0–2
3
June 6
Golden State
L 102–110
LeBron James (33)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
0–3
4
June 8
Golden State
L 85–108
LeBron James (23)
Kevin Love (9)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
0–4 :
2018 playoff schedule :

## Player statistics
### Regular season

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| LeBron James | 82 | 82 | 36.9 | .542 | .367 | .731 | 8.6 | 9.1 | 1.4 | .9 | 27.5 |
| J. R. Smith | 80 | 61 | 28.1 | .403 | .375 | .696 | 2.9 | 1.8 | .9 | .1 | 8.3 |
| Jeff Green | 78 | 14 | 23.4 | .477 | .312 | .868 | 3.2 | 1.3 | .5 | .4 | 10.8 |
| Kyle Korver | 73 | 4 | 21.6 | .459 | .436 | .889 | 2.3 | 1.2 | .4 | .4 | 9.2 |
| Cedi Osman | 61 | 12 | 11.0 | .484 | .368 | .565 | 2.0 | .7 | .4 | .0 | 3.9 |
| Kevin Love | 59 | 59 | 28.0 | .458 | .415 | .880 | 9.3 | 1.7 | .7 | .4 | 17.6 |
| José Calderón | 57 | 32 | 16.0 | .503 | .464 | .800 | 1.5 | 2.1 | .5 | .0 | 4.5 |
| Jae Crowder$^†$ | 53 | 47 | 25.4 | .418 | .328 | .848 | 3.3 | 1.1 | .8 | .2 | 8.6 |
| Tristan Thompson | 53 | 22 | 20.2 | .562 | | .544 | 6.6 | .6 | .3 | .3 | 5.8 |
| Dwyane Wade$^†$ | 46 | 3 | 23.2 | .455 | .329 | .701 | 3.9 | 3.5 | .9 | .7 | 11.2 |
| Channing Frye$^†$ | 44 | 1 | 12.4 | .497 | .333 | .933 | 2.5 | .6 | .4 | .3 | 4.8 |
| Ante Žižić | 32 | 2 | 6.7 | .731 | | .724 | 1.9 | .2 | .1 | .4 | 3.7 |
| Jordan Clarkson$^†$ | 28 | 0 | 22.6 | .456 | .407 | .810 | 2.1 | 1.7 | .7 | .1 | 12.6 |
| George Hill$^†$ | 24 | 24 | 27.9 | .444 | .351 | .805 | 2.7 | 2.8 | .9 | .6 | 9.4 |
| Larry Nance Jr.$^†$ | 24 | 9 | 20.8 | .550 | .125 | .720 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | .8 | 8.9 |
| John Holland | 24 | 0 | 7.3 | .288 | .306 | .692 | 1.0 | .2 | .3 | .1 | 2.3 |
| Rodney Hood$^†$ | 21 | 11 | 25.3 | .442 | .352 | .813 | 2.6 | 1.4 | .7 | .2 | 10.8 |
| Derrick Rose$^†$ | 16 | 7 | 19.3 | .439 | .250 | .854 | 1.8 | 1.6 | .2 | .3 | 9.8 |
| Isaiah Thomas$^†$ | 15 | 14 | 27.1 | .361 | .253 | .868 | 2.1 | 4.5 | .6 | .1 | 14.7 |
| Iman Shumpert | 14 | 6 | 19.7 | .379 | .269 | .733 | 2.9 | 1.2 | .6 | .3 | 4.4 |
| London Perrantes | 14 | 0 | 4.7 | .154 | .000 | .600 | .3 | .4 | .1 | .1 | .5 |
| Kendrick Perkins | 1 | 0 | 15.0 | .500 | | .500 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .0 | 3.0 |

### Playoffs

| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| LeBron James | 22 | 22 | 41.9 | .539 | .342 | .746 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 34.0 |
| J. R. Smith | 22 | 21 | 32.1 | .348 | .367 | .773 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | .2 | 8.7 |
| Kyle Korver | 22 | 11 | 23.0 | .418 | .413 | .864 | 2.4 | .9 | .4 | .4 | 8.3 |
| Jeff Green | 22 | 2 | 23.8 | .408 | .300 | .717 | 2.4 | 1.5 | .3 | .7 | 7.7 |
| Kevin Love | 21 | 21 | 31.4 | .392 | .340 | .922 | 10.2 | 1.6 | .7 | .4 | 14.9 |
| Larry Nance Jr. | 20 | 0 | 15.4 | .683 | .000 | .452 | 4.5 | .9 | .8 | .7 | 4.8 |
| George Hill | 19 | 18 | 29.3 | .450 | .314 | .774 | 2.2 | 2.2 | .5 | .4 | 9.2 |
| Tristan Thompson | 19 | 11 | 21.9 | .590 | .000 | .741 | 5.9 | .6 | .1 | .4 | 6.2 |
| Jordan Clarkson | 19 | 0 | 15.1 | .301 | .239 | .833 | 1.7 | .7 | .4 | .2 | 4.7 |
| Rodney Hood | 17 | 1 | 15.3 | .424 | .167 | .750 | 1.8 | 1.1 | .3 | .2 | 5.4 |
| Cedi Osman | 14 | 0 | 4.4 | .333 | .143 | .250 | .5 | .2 | .2 | .0 | 1.0 |
| José Calderón | 13 | 3 | 8.0 | .346 | .222 | 1.000 | .8 | .7 | .4 | .0 | 1.8 |
| Ante Žižić | 8 | 0 | 2.9 | .500 | | .500 | .8 | .1 | .0 | .1 | 1.6 |
* $^†$ Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Cavaliers only.

## Transactions
### Trades

| August 30, 2017 | To Cleveland CavaliersIsaiah Thomas Jae Crowder Ante Žižić 2018 first-round pick (from Brooklyn) 2020 second round pick (from Miami) | To Boston CelticsKyrie Irving |
| October 14, 2017 | To Cleveland CavaliersRights to Sergiy Gladyr Rights to Dimitrios Agravanis | To Atlanta HawksRichard Jefferson Kay Felder 2019 second-round pick 2020 Portland second-round pick Cash considerations |
| February 8, 2018 |
| February 8, 2018 | To Cleveland CavaliersRodney Hood (from Utah) George Hill (from Sacramento) Draft rights to Artūras Gudaitis (from Sacramento) | To Sacramento KingsJoe Johnson (from Utah) Iman Shumpert (from Cleveland) 2020 second round pick (from Miami via Cleveland) Draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis (from Cleveland) Cash considerations (from Cleveland and Utah) |
| To Utah JazzJae Crowder (from Cleveland) Derrick Rose (from Cleveland) Right to swap 2024 second round picks with Cleveland ||
| February 8, 2018 |
| February 8, 2018 | To Cleveland CavaliersLarry Nance Jr. Jordan Clarkson | To Los Angeles LakersIsaiah Thomas Channing Frye 2018 first-round pick (from Cleveland) |
| February 8, 2018 | To Cleveland CavaliersConditional 2024 second round pick | To Miami HeatDwyane Wade |

### Free agency
#### Re-signed

| Player | Signed |
| Kyle Korver | 3-year contract worth $22 million |

#### Additions

| Player | Signed | Former team |
| José Calderón | 1-year contract worth $2.3 million | Atlanta Hawks |
| Jeff Green | 1-year contract worth $2.3 million | Orlando Magic |
| Cedi Osman | 3-year contract worth $8.3 million | Anadolu Efes |
| Derrick Rose | 1-year contract worth $2.1 million | New York Knicks |
| John Holland | Two-way contract | Canton Charge |
| Dwyane Wade | 1-year contract worth $2.3 million | Chicago Bulls |
| London Perrantes | Two-way contract | Virginia Cavaliers |
| Marcus Thornton | Signed a 10-day contract | Canton Charge |
| Kendrick Perkins | Signed for the rest of the season | Canton Charge |

#### Subtractions

| Player | Reason left | New team |
| James Jones | Retired | Phoenix Suns (Vice President of Basketball Operations) |
| Walter Tavares | Waived | Raptors 905 / Real Madrid Baloncesto |
| Derrick Williams | UFA | Tianjin Gold Lions / Los Angeles Lakers |
| Deron Williams | UFA | Unknown |