J.B. Bickerstaff Reacts To Cavaliers Season-Ending Loss

J.B. Bickerstaff reflects on the Cleveland Cavaliers playoff loss and season.

May 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff checks the scoreboard during a timeout in the second quarter of game one of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

That’s a wrap on the Cleveland Cavaliers 2023-2024 season. Their year officially came to a close with their 113-98 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

J.B. Bickerstaff was obviously disappointed after the loss but was still proud of his group for what they were able to achieve during an abnormal season. 

“This has been a difficult year for us for a bunch of different reasons and they never found a time to fold on each other,” said Bickersatff. 

“All they did was figure out ways to compete. When you have as many injuries as we had throughout the season, we had guys going through personal things, and somehow someway we found a way to get a home-court spot going into the playoffs. A lot of people can’t say they were able to accomplish that. So, I give our guys a ton of credit for fighting through that adversity, doing it together, and putting themselves in this position they were in tonight.”

Bickerstaff was short on calling this season a success, but he did say it was an improvement on where they were this time last year. 

May 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff checks the scoreboard during a timeout in the second quarter of game one of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

“To win a round in the playoffs isn’t easy. I thought we faced a tough challenge in that first round and to win it in a game seven showed a ton of growth. I think the play of our guys showed a ton of growth. So, I think this year was an improvement for us … But for us, I think we accomplished what we were trying to accomplish, but coming up short of winning a championship.”

The question turns to how the team plans to improve over the offseason and how they continue to build in order to truly call next season a success.