Cavaliers top Pelicans, celebrate franchise's first 9-0 start

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NEW ORLEANS -- Taking their cues from Jarrett Allen, the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrated the first 9-0 start to a season in franchise history by pouring water bottles over coach Kenny Atkinson's head in the locker room.

There will be much bigger games, with higher stakes, than the Cavs' 131-122 victory in New Orleans on Wednesday night.

But Atkinson didn't mind taking a moment to enjoy something no other Cavs team had done in the 55 years since Cleveland joined the NBA for the 1970-71 season.

"You have to," said Atkinson, who also became the first NBA coach to win his first nine games with a new team. "This season's so long. It's so hard to win in this league.…