Cavaliers stay undefeated: 15-0 Cleveland ties for second-best start in NBA history with win over Hornets

With Sunday's 128-114 win over the Charlotte Hornets, the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 15-0, tying for the second-best start in NBA history. The 1948-49 Washington Capitols and, more recently, the 1993-94 Houston Rockets also started their respective seasons with 15 straight wins. The Golden State Warriors hold the record with 24 straight wins to start the 2015-16 season. The 15-game winning streak is also the longest in Cavaliers franchise history for any point in the season.

The Cavs can take sole possession of second place on the all-time list with a 16th straight win on Tuesday, but they will face their toughest obstacle yet when they head to Boston to face the defending champion Celtics -- who have only lost six home games over the last two seasons. The marquee matchup between the teams with the two best records in the Eastern Conference will be arguably the most anticipated game of the young NBA season.

What the Cavs have done is incredibly impressive on its own, but even more so when you consider they've had key players in and out of the lineup throughout the season. Stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley have each missed a game during the historic run, while Caris LeVert and Dean Wade have been out for multiple contests. That's not to mention regular starter Max Strus, who has yet to play this season due to a hamstring injury. New head coach Kenny Atkinson has empowered bench players like Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill and Georges Niang to contribute significant minutes off the bench.

The biggest difference between this season and last season, when the Cavs finished in fourth place in the East at 48-34, has been the offense. Entering Sunday, they led the league by generating 121.8 points per 100 possessions, up from their 16th-ranked 114.7 last year. This season's group has also been lights out shooting the ball, leading the NBA in both field goal percentage (52.1%) and 3-point percentage (41.8%) entering the win over Charlotte. They've done all that while maintaining their top-10 defense.

Looking ahead, if the Cavs can beat the Celtics on Tuesday, this thing could keep rolling for a while. Their next two games would be against the banged-up Pelicans and Raptors (six combined wins) at home, followed by a home-and-home set against the middling Atlanta Hawks. That means the Cavs could realistically take a 20-0 record into a second matchup with the Celtics on Dec. 1, this time in Cleveland.

No matter when the streak ends, the Cavs have made it clear that they are legitimate contenders to come out of the Eastern Conference.

Cavaliers stay undefeated: 15-0 Cleveland ties for second-best start in NBA history with win over Hornets

Cavaliers stay undefeated: 15-0 Cleveland ties for second-best start in NBA history with win over Hornets

Cavaliers stay undefeated: 15-0 Cleveland ties for second-best start in NBA history with win over Hornets

Cavaliers stay undefeated: 15-0 Cleveland ties for second-best start in NBA history with win over Hornets

Cavaliers stay undefeated: 15-0 Cleveland ties for second-best start in NBA history with win over Hornets