The Cavaliers currently stand at 40-31, which places them in 4th place in the Eastern Conference. They need to finish with a 10-1 record in their final 11 games to win 50 games this season. If they pull off the remarkable feat, it will be the first time in franchise history that the team has won 50 games or more in 3 consecutive seasons.
The last team to win the NBA Championship with under 50 wins on the season was San Antonio in the lockout-shortened 50-game season of 1999. However, at 37-13, the Spurs played .740 ball and tied with the Utah Jazz for the best record in the league.
The last team to win the NBA Championship with under 50 wins on the season in an 82-game season was Houston, who went 47-35 (.573) in the 1994-1995 campaign. After clinching a #6 seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets took down the four highest seeds in the playoffs (#3 Jazz at 60-22; #2 Suns at 59-23; #1 Spurs at 62-20; and #1 Magic at 57-25). (Note: Due to league rules at the time, division winners were automatically awarded with a #1 or #2 seed, regardless of if a division runner-up had a better record. This is why Phoenix was #2 and Utah was #3. However, in these scenarios, when the #2 and #3 seeds advanced, the team with the higher record, not the division winner, was granted home court advantage for the series. The Cavaliers experienced a similar situation in 1992 when the Celtics were given the #2 seed and the Cavs were given the #3 seed. When they met in the Conference Semifinals, Cleveland took the deciding Game 7 at home.)
The last team to win the NBA Championship with under 50 wins on the season was San Antonio in the lockout-shortened 50-game season of 1999. However, at 37-13, the Spurs played .740 ball and tied with the Utah Jazz for the best record in the league.
The last team to win the NBA Championship with under 50 wins on the season in an 82-game season was Houston, who went 47-35 (.573) in the 1994-1995 campaign. After clinching a #6 seed in the Western Conference, the Rockets took down the four highest seeds in the playoffs (#3 Jazz at 60-22; #2 Suns at 59-23; #1 Spurs at 62-20; and #1 Magic at 57-25). (Note: Due to league rules at the time, division winners were automatically awarded with a #1 or #2 seed, regardless of if a division runner-up had a better record. This is why Phoenix was #2 and Utah was #3. However, in these scenarios, when the #2 and #3 seeds advanced, the team with the higher record, not the division winner, was granted home court advantage for the series. The Cavaliers experienced a similar situation in 1992 when the Celtics were given the #2 seed and the Cavs were given the #3 seed. When they met in the Conference Semifinals, Cleveland took the deciding Game 7 at home.)