The 1993âÂÂ94 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 24th season for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association. The Cavaliers had the 22nd overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, and selected small forward Chris Mills from the University of Arizona, acquired Tyrone Hill from the Golden State Warriors during the off-season, and signed free agent Rod Higgins in December. The team also hired Mike Fratello as their new head coach.
Under Fratello, and with the addition of Hill and Mills, the Cavaliers got off to a 6âÂÂ6 start to the regular season, but then struggled losing eight of their next nine games, and falling below .500 in winning percentage with a 7âÂÂ14 start to the season. However, the team soon recovered playing above .500 for the remainder of the season, and holding a 24âÂÂ23 record at the All-Star break. The team dealt with injuries as Brad Daugherty only played just 50 games due to a back injury, while Larry Nance only appeared in just 33 games due to a knee injury, and Hill only played 57 games due to thumb and knee injuries. Despite the injuries, the Cavaliers posted an 11-game winning streak between February and March, and finished in fourth place in the Central Division with a 47âÂÂ35 record, earning the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Mark Price averaged 17.3 points, 7.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game, led the Cavaliers with 118 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. In addition, Daugherty averaged 17.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, while Gerald Wilkins provided the team with 14.3 points and 1.3 steals per game, Hot Rod Williams contributed 13.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, Nance provided with 11.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, and Hill contributed 10.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Mills averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game off the bench, while Bobby Phills became the team's starting shooting guard, averaging 8.3 points per game, Terrell Brandon provided with 8.3 points and 3.8 assists per game off the bench, and John Battle contributed 6.6 points per game also off the bench.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Price was selected for the 1994 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was his fourth and final All-Star appearance. In addition, Price won the NBA Three-Point Shootout for the second consecutive year, while Mills was selected for the inaugural NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Sensations team. Price also finished in ninth place in Most Valuable Player voting.
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1994 NBA playoffs, and for the third consecutive year, the Cavaliers faced off against the 3rdâÂÂseeded, and 3-time defending NBA champion Chicago Bulls; All-Star guard Michael Jordan had retired prior to the season to pursue a baseball career, as the Bulls were now led by the All-Star trio of Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and B.J. Armstrong. However, during the final month of the regular season, Williams suffered a season-ending right thumb injury; without Daugherty, Nance and Williams, the Cavaliers lacked big men on the team for their first-round series against the Bulls. The Cavaliers lost the first two games to the Bulls on the road at the Chicago Stadium, before losing Game 3 at home in overtime, 95âÂÂ92 at the Coliseum at Richfield, thus losing the series in a three-game sweep.
The Cavaliers finished eighth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 753,686 at the Coliseum at Richfield during the regular season; this was also the team's final season playing at the Coliseum at Richfield in Richfield, Ohio. Following the season, Nance retired after thirteen seasons in the NBA, and Higgins was released to free agency; this was also Daugherty's final season of his NBA career, as he would miss all of the next two seasons due to back injuries.
|-style="background:#fcc;" | 1 || November 5, 1993 || Milwaukee |-style="background:#fcc;" | 2 || November 7, 1993 || New York |-style="background:#cfc;" | 3 || November 9, 1993 || Charlotte |-style="background:#fcc;" | 4 || November 11, 1993 || @ Seattle |-style="background:#cfc;" | 5 || November 12, 1993 || @ Golden State |-style="background:#fcc;" | 6 || November 14, 1993 || @ L.A. Lakers |-style="background:#cfc;" | 7 || November 16, 1993 || @ Portland |-style="background:#fcc;" | 8 || November 18, 1993 || @ Denver |-style="background:#fcc;" | 9 || November 20, 1993 || @ Phoenix |-style="background:#cfc;" | 10 || November 24, 1993 || Washington |-style="background:#cfc;" | 11 || November 27, 1993 || Seattle |-style="background:#cfc;" | 12 || November 30, 1993 || Detroit
|-style="background:#fcc;" | 13 || December 1, 1993 || @ New Jersey |-style="background:#fcc;" | 14 || December 4, 1993 || Orlando |-style="background:#fcc;" | 15 || December 5, 1993 || Houston |-style="background:#cfc;" | 16 || December 7, 1993 || Portland |-style="background:#fcc;" | 17 || December 9, 1993 || @ Charlotte |-style="background:#fcc;" | 18 || December 11, 1993 || @ Chicago |-style="background:#fcc;" | 19 || December 14, 1993<br>7:30 pm EST || Atlanta | L 92âÂÂ103 | Williams (18) | Daugherty (14) | Brandon (7) | Richfield Coliseum<br>17,022 | 7âÂÂ12 |-style="background:#fcc;" | 20 || December 16, 1993 || @ Miami |-style="background:#fcc;" | 21 || December 18, 1993 || @ Detroit |-style="background:#cfc;" | 22 || December 19, 1993 || L.A. Lakers |-style="background:#cfc;" | 23 || December 21, 1993 || Utah |-style="background:#cfc;" | 24 || December 23, 1993 || Milwaukee |-style="background:#cfc;" | 25 || December 26, 1993 || Indiana |-style="background:#cfc;" | 26 || December 28, 1993 || Charlotte |-style="background:#fcc;" | 27 || December 30, 1993 || @ Milwaukee
|-style="background:#fcc;" | 28 || January 4, 1994 || @ Indiana |-style="background:#fcc;" | 29 || January 5, 1994 || Boston |-style="background:#cfc;" | 30 || January 7, 1994 || @ Boston |-style="background:#fcc;" | 31 || January 8, 1994<br>7:30 pm EST || @ Atlanta | L 89âÂÂ102 | Wilkins (19) | Daugherty,<br>Nance (10) | Price (9) | The Omni<br>16,368 | 13âÂÂ18 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 32 || January 12, 1994 || @ Orlando |-style="background:#cfc;" | 33 || January 13, 1994 || New Jersey |-style="background:#cfc;" | 34 || January 15, 1994 || Philadelphia |-style="background:#cfc;" | 35 || January 17, 1994 || Orlando |-style="background:#fcc;" | 36 || January 19, 1994 || @ Utah |-style="background:#cfc;" | 37 || January 21, 1994 || @ L.A. Clippers |-style="background:#cfc;" | 38 || January 22, 1994 || @ Sacramento |-style="background:#fcc;" | 39 || January 25, 1994 || @ Houston |-style="background:#cfc;" | 40 || January 27, 1994 || Chicago |-style="background:#fcc;" | 41 || January 29, 1994 || Miami |-style="background:#cfc;" | 42 || January 31, 1994 || @ Detroit
|-style="background:#cfc;" | 43 || February 2, 1994 || @ Philadelphia |-style="background:#fcc;" | 44 || February 3, 1994 || San Antonio |-style="background:#cfc;" | 45 || February 5, 1994<br>7:30 pm EST || Atlanta | W 109âÂÂ93 | Williams (19) | Nance (13) | Price (13) | Richfield Coliseum<br>20,273 | 23âÂÂ22 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 46 || February 8, 1994 || New Jersey |-style="background:#fcc;" | 47 || February 9, 1994 || @ New Jersey |-style="background:#cfc;" | 48 || February 15, 1994 || Denver |-style="background:#fcc;" | 49 || February 17, 1994 || New York |-style="background:#cfc;" | 50 || February 18, 1994 || @ Minnesota |-style="background:#cfc;" | 51 || February 20, 1994 || @ Charlotte |-style="background:#cfc;" | 52 || February 22, 1994 || Minnesota |-style="background:#cfc;" | 53 || February 23, 1994 || @ Washington |-style="background:#cfc;" | 54 || February 25, 1994 || Golden State |-style="background:#cfc;" | 55 || February 26, 1994 || Dallas |-style="background:#cfc;" | 56 || February 28, 1994 || @ Chicago
|-style="background:#cfc;" | 57 || March 2, 1994 || @ Boston |-style="background:#cfc;" | 58 || March 3, 1994 || Philadelphia |-style="background:#cfc;" | 59 || March 6, 1994 || Chicago |-style="background:#cfc;" | 60 || March 8, 1994 || Sacramento |-style="background:#fcc;" | 61 || March 11, 1994 || @ Detroit |-style="background:#fcc;" | 62 || March 12, 1994 || @ New York |-style="background:#fcc;" | 63 || March 15, 1994 || Phoenix |-style="background:#fcc;" | 64 || March 18, 1994 || @ Orlando |-style="background:#fcc;" | 65 || March 19, 1994 || @ Miami |-style="background:#cfc;" | 66 || March 22, 1994 || Indiana |-style="background:#fcc;" | 67 || March 23, 1994 || @ Indiana |-style="background:#cfc;" | 68 || March 25, 1994 || @ Philadelphia |-style="background:#cfc;" | 69 || March 27, 1994 || Detroit |-style="background:#cfc;" | 70 || March 29, 1994 || L.A. Clippers |-style="background:#fcc;" | 71 || March 31, 1994 || @ San Antonio
|-style="background:#cfc;" | 72 || April 2, 1994 || @ Dallas |-style="background:#cfc;" | 73 || April 5, 1994 || Charlotte |-style="background:#fcc;" | 74 || April 7, 1994 || @ New York |-style="background:#fcc;" | 75 || April 8, 1994 || @ Washington |-style="background:#cfc;" | 76 || April 12, 1994 || Milwaukee |-style="background:#fcc;" | 77 || April 13, 1994<br>7:30 pm EDT || @ Atlanta | L 95âÂÂ110 | Brandon (16) | Phills (8) | Brandon (5) | The Omni<br>13,675 | 43âÂÂ34 |-style="background:#cfc;" | 78 || April 15, 1994 || Miami |-style="background:#cfc;" | 79 || April 16, 1994 || @ Milwaukee |-style="background:#fcc;" | 80 || April 20, 1994 || @ Indiana |-style="background:#cfc;" | 81 || April 22, 1994 || Washington |-style="background:#cfc;" | 82 || April 24, 1994 || Boston
|- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 1 | April 29 | @ Chicago | L 96âÂÂ104 | Gerald Wilkins (23) | Tyrone Hill (8) | Mark Price (5) | Chicago Stadium<br>18,676 | 0âÂÂ1 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 2 | May 1 | @ Chicago | L 96âÂÂ105 | Gerald Wilkins (28) | Tyrone Hill (10) | Price, Phills (4) | Chicago Stadium<br>18,676 | 0âÂÂ2 |- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" | 3 | May 3 | Chicago | L 92âÂÂ95 (OT) | Chris Mills (25) | Tyrone Hill (13) | Gerald Wilkins (7) | Richfield Coliseum<br>17,778 | 0âÂÂ3 |-
Player statistics citation: