CLEVELAND — With their 107-90 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 2 of the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers now need 15 more wins to capture an NBA title.
But regardless of whether or not they wind up with the Larry O'Brien Trophy come June, that didn't stop the Cavs from unveiling some new bling.
Dating back to the 2021-22 NBA season, Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has awarded the "Junkyard Dog' chain to the player who brings the most grit and impact in each Cavs win. While the original version featured a diamond-encrusted and engraved version of the Cavs' signature 'C' logo, the team unveiled a new edition for the postseason displaying a diamond version of the team's script 'CAVS' logo.
The first player to receive the new Junkyard Dog chain was an obvious choice as point guard Darius Garland scored a game-high 32 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 6-for-10 from 3-point range. Taking to their official Twitter account, the Cavs posted a video of Bickerstaff unveiling the new Junkyard Dog chain and presenting it to Garland, who proceeded to pose with his teammates as they celebrated, as has been customary for the past two seasons.
In addition to giving the Cavs a chance to unveil their new jewelry, Cleveland's win over New York evened their best-of-seven series at 1-1. With that, the Cavs and Knicks will head to New York for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday, before returning to Cleveland for a now-guaranteed Game 5 in Cleveland on Wednesday, April 26.