CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland Cavaliers fans are gearing up for game one of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

On Sunday afternoon, the scene around Rocket Arena was calm compared to the storm of fans expected to converge downtown by the time the Cavs begin their 2025 playoff run at 7 p.m.

The Cavs earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference by ripping through the regular season with two 15-game winning streaks. They’ll need to win 16 playoff games to bring Cleveland its second NBA title — a run that starts with facing the Miami Heat, the No. 8 seed in the East playoffs.

Cleveland fans are both optimistic and cautious about their home team’s chances, especially in the shadow of the upcoming 10-year anniversary of the city first NBA championship celebration next summer.

Nicole Williams, a local high school student hanging out Downtown with family on Sunday, said she was not surprised that the Cavs made it to the playoffs, but she was surprised at their record going into the playoffs.

“Their record is better than the 2016 record and that year we won the championship,” she said.

Following their 2024-2025 regular season, the Cavs had a record of 64-18 compared to the 57-25 in 2016. Still, Williams said this did not necessarily make her confident about their chances.

“I don’t have a prediction because during some games, they play really, really well and then other games, they just play like they’ve never played basketball,” she said. “I hope they make it to the finals at least, but we’ll see.”

Williams’ father, John proved to be more sure of the Cavs’ chances, but he acknowledged the Heat being a worthy opponent.

“It’s going to be a fill out for both teams,” he said. “But the Cavs can hold their own.”

John Williams added that the energy around this playoff season feels different compared to 2016 because the Cavs were able to win the top seed without LeBron James. The only holdover from that 2016 team is Tristan Thompson, a former starter now serving in a bench role in the twilight of his career.

The rest of the Cavs roster — including its core four starters in Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — have playoff experience, but no NBA Finals on their resumes.

Still, John Williams said he thinks the Cavs have proven they can go all the way.

“I’m absolutely optimistic,” he said. “We got this.”

Curtis Miller of Cleveland said he has been avidly following the Cavs all season, even attending two regular season games. He also feels like the Cav’s chances have never been better for another Championship.

“They have such a great team this year and each player have their own strengths that truly compliment the team as a whole,” he said. “It really feels like we could finally make it all the way since LeBron left.”

For those that will not be at Rocket Arena to watch the playoffs live, the game will air on TNT at 7 p.m., as well as a host of streaming services.