CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers are "hot" and have actually been that way for a while, even if it doesn't quite feel like it.

An ugly 98-87 win over the Dallas Mavericks was Cleveland's eighth in nine tries. The Cavs are 17-8 since Feb. 7.

While the wins are beginning to pile (they need just three more for 50), the momentum is missing. Dating to that 140-138 overtime win over Minnesota on Feb. 7, the Cavs traded half their roster, didn't have Kevin Love for another month, lost coach Tyronn Lue for two weeks and counting (same for Kyle Korver), and haven't played a game together as a whole group.

"We're happy that we're winning, but we want to feel like we've put it all together," Love said. "I think when we really lock in and feel like it's a do-or-die situation we will accept the challenge and really compete at a high level. Right now I feel like, and even during today's game, obviously we felt like we could take it to another level and push through it. But like I said sometimes you have to win ugly and that's part of being a good team."

This week would seem to be a good test, with three Eastern Conference playoff teams on the docket. One of them, Philadelphia, trails the Cavs by a half game for third in the East and hosts Cleveland Friday.

The Cavs host East-leading Toronto at 7 p.m. Tuesday. LeBron James has said over and over that he doesn't know what kind of team the Cavs (who are of course three-time Eastern Conference champs) can be come playoff time because it's a new group.

"I think when it comes down to the postseason, we can be pretty good," James said. "I mean, I think so. But we don't know. Listen we lost our starting point guard (George Hill) last game, so we're trying to get everybody acclimated. Our head coach is still out and it's going to take him a little time to get back as well so I don't know what we're capable of doing. We haven't played a playoff game together.

"We got four guys you know from our championship team, myself, J.R. (Smith), Tristan (Thompson) and Kev. We got some playoff experience, but you don't know it's a new season and we'll see what happens."

On the mend

Lue, who hasn't coached since March 17 because of personal reasons, was again at The Q for Sunday's game. Also, Hill, who sprained his left ankle Friday, told cleveland.com he's feeling much better. The Cavs haven't given a timetable for his return. Nor have they said when Kyle Korver (out since March 19) will be able to play.

What tanking looks like

It bears repeating that Dallas owner Mark Cuban was fined $600,000 for saying on a podcast that he told his players it was better for them to lose this year.

So when the Mavericks carried a 77-73 lead into the fourth quarter, coach Rick Carlisle came out with this group: Maxi Kleber; Doug McDermott; Aaron Harrison; Nerlens Noel; Yogi Ferrell.

All bench players. The first "starter" to come back in the game, Dorian Finney-Smith, at 7:44, has only started nine games all season.

Harrison Barnes (30 points) and Dennis Smith Jr. (14 points) didn't return until there was 5:47 remaining and the Cavs led 90-81.

That's tanking.

"I mean, coming into this game, and there have been other games as well where I've been informed that our opponent, they're playing all of their guys. And they are playing bench guys in crunch-time situations," Cavs acting coach Larry Drew said. "So this, what he did, is no different from what some of the other teams have done.

"When we watch these teams, particularly their most recent games, we do look at lineups down the stretch. And this is just something that we really pay close attention to so that we'll know who have been in games going down the stretch.

"But we were really expecting some of their bench guys to be in down in crunch-time situations as I mentioned before; other teams have done the same thing. So it was nothing different."

Kevin Love's list

Love (13 points, 13 rebounds) said he didn't know he'd accumulated his 400th-career double double until Jose Calderon told him in the third quarter.

"So I said, 'All right, sit me on the bench for the game, I don't care,'" Love joked. "No, it's really cool. I don't know who the other seven players are, but it would be cool to see that list. I expect to play a lot more in this league and for a very long time and hopefully I'll keep climbing up.

"You see Bron doing it, it feels like every single night he has a milestone. He's just sustained such a level over so much time. It's cool to see, that's a good one."

The list: Dwight Howard (714); Pau Gasol (530); Zach Randolph (458); Chris Paul (418); Dirk Nowitzki (410); and LeBron (406).

One of the greats says LeBron's maybe the best

James had his worst shooting game this season on Sunday (5-of-21) but still wound up with a triple double (16 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists).

"We tried to make it tough on him but obviously he's one of the best players in the game, if not the best player in the game," Nowitzki said. "You look up and he's got a triple-double. He's affecting the game even though he wasn't shooting the ball really well. He can drive. He can dish it. He can spread the floor to a lot of shooters."

Tristan changes the Cavs

Drew said before Sunday's game the Cavs are a "totally different team" when Tristan Thompson plays like he did Friday against the Pelicans, when he grabbed 14 rebounds off the bench.

"Everybody knows what he brings to the table was just that kind of that pit bull mentality, going after every rebound, setting screens, getting to the offensive glass," Drew said. "When he plays with that kind of energy we are a different club, and we try and remind him how good we are when he's like that."

Thompson finished with four points and seven rebounds against the Mavericks, but shot 1-of-5 and was missing shots from point-blank range.