Kevin Love acknowledges bumpy late-season stretch en route to Finals appearance

The Cavaliers have advanced to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year, but the regular season road, as it often is with this team, was bumpy.

Cleveland stumbled down the stretch, losing 14 of their final 24 games heading into the postseason, and part of the fun for Kevin Love is that the team is playing its best basketball.

“More than anything, it feels good to, as a team, collectively play some really inspired and really good basketball. I know toward the end of the season there, there were some rough patches. There were times where collectively we could have been better, but I think that we showed that if we have a great game plan and we play inspired basketball, we're a tough team to beat.”

The Cavaliers have steamrolled through the postseason at 12-1 and look more like the juggernaut we thought they’d be after they picked up Kyle Korver and Deron Williams midseason and added them to a title-winner. J.R. Smith is back in rhythm, Kevin Love just finished his best playoff series as a member of the team, and Kyrie Irving just put up 62% shooting against one of the best defensive backcourts in the NBA.

If this team is to challenge the Warriors, this is the kind of basketball they’ll need to play. I’m not stunned that they’re feeling confident.