No one knew for certain what kind of team the Cavaliers might be in 2024-25, especially when they went 0-4 in the preseason under their new coach. Exactly halfway through the season, an answer is forming, The Cavaliers (35-6) have the best record in the NBA all to themselves. They will try to improve upon that Jan. 20 when they host the Phoenix Suns at 3:30 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The mid-afternoon start on a Monday is in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Briefly, after losing to the Thunder, 134-114, on Jan. 16 in Oklahoma City, the Cavaliers shared the league’s best mark at 34-6 with the Thunder. But Oklahoma City lost in Dallas, 106-98, one night after beating the Cavs. The Cavs, meanwhile, rebounded from their lopsided loss to the Thunder by dunking on the Timberwolves, 124-117, on Jan. 19 in Minneapolis. And they won while Evan Mobley (calf) and Isaac Okoro (shoulder) were out with injuries. The status of Mobley and Okoro for the game with the Suns is uncertain. What is certain is Coach Kenny Atkinson’s reaction — or non-reaction might be a better term — to the loss in Oklahoma City proved to be the correct one. The Cavs lost by 20 points, but late in the third quarter, they trailed by double that at 110-70. “I don’t think you go rant and rave after a game like this,” Atkinson told reporters. “I don’t think it’s the correct response from a coach.” Instead of jumping on his players, Atkinson counted on his leaders to lead, and Donovan Mitchell answered the call. Mitchell hit on only three of 15 shots from the field against the Thunder. He finished with eight points and had a plus-minus of minus 28. Mitchell was a different player against the Timberwolves. He was 12 of 27 and finished with a game-high 36 points. “He understands the moment,” Atkinson told reporters after the Cavs beat the Timberwolves. “I don’t know what it was like in the past. But I think he reads the situation, and he reads the game. Like, ‘Hey, this is the game, and they need me to step up and be ultra-aggressive.’ “I knew it right away. We ran the first play for him tonight and he got that layup, and I was like, ‘Here he goes. He’s in attack mode.’ Some games we don’t need that. But he feels the moment and tonight was one of those games.” The Cavaliers won their 35th game on Feb. 8 last season. They were 35-22, third in the Eastern Conference and four games behind the first-place Celtics. They went 13-12 the remainder of the regular season. They finished fourth in the East at 48-34. Less than a calendar year later, the Cavs lead the second-place Celtics by 6.5 games. It would be a major disappointment if they go .500 the rest of the way as they basically did last season after winning their 35th game. The Cavs are 20-2 at home this season. After hosting the Suns they are back on the road for a game in Houston on Jan. 22 and one in Philadelphia on Jan. 24 before returning to the FieldHouse to play the Rockets on Jan. 25. Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome celebrates after making a 3-pointer against Timberwolves on Jan. 18 in Minneapolis. (Abbie Parr – The Associated Press) Suns at Cavaliers When: 3:30 p.m., Jan. 20 Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Records: Suns 21-20, Cavaliers 36-5 TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio