Cavs believe they’re built for what comes next

It’s March 1.

Which means what happened in February matters a little less. And what happens next matters a lot more.

Two nights ago, the Cavaliers lost in overtime at Detroit. They were short-handed. They missed free throws. A late foul on a 3-pointer sent the game sideways.

And still, one Cavs player walked out saying, “They aren’t in our class.” That wasn’t emotion. That was belief.

No Donovan Mitchell. No James Harden. And Cleveland still felt it let one slip.

That’s how teams with expectations think.

Evan Mobley said it plainly: “They’ve got to face us.”

That’s the shift. The Cavs are no longer measuring themselves against the top of the East. They believe they are the top of the East.

Sunday brings Brooklyn (3:30 p.m. EST). The standings will move. The schedule will tighten.

But this is the time of year when identity hardens. The Cavs (37-24) didn’t leave Detroit doubting. They left convinced.

Now they have to just have to keep proving it when the games start carrying real weight.