Cleveland has now lost three of their last four games after getting blown out by the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, and are looking to get their season back on track. Brooklyn has lost two games in a row, the latest coming to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
In their first matchup this year in Brooklyn, Cleveland used a strong second half to blow out the Nets 110-88.
Projected Starting Lineups
Cleveland Cavaliers (14-10)
G Kyrie Irving – 19.9 ppg, 5.2 apg
G Mike Miller – 1.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg
F LeBron James – 25.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 7.6 apg
F Kevin Love – 17.6 ppg, 10.5 rpg
C Anderson Varejao – 9.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Brooklyn Nets (10-14)
G Deron Williams – 16.2 ppg, 6.9 apg
G Bojan Bodganovic – 8.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg
F Joe Johnson – 15.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg
F Kevin Garnett - 7.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg
C Brook Lopez - 16.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg
What to watch for:
Who controls the tempo?
Cleveland is at their best when they're running up and down the court, playing fast break basketball and getting easy baskets. On the other hand, Brooklyn likes to play at a slower pace and be more methodical on offense. If the Nets are able to keep the Cavs from scoring 100 points, they'll give themselves a good chance to win because they can't match Cleveland's offensive firepower. But if the game is played at a high pace, the Cavaliers will come out on top.
Bench Production
In their first game of the year, Cleveland's bench outscored Brooklyn's 59-42 behind Dion Waiters' 26 points. That unit should be a boost with sharpshooter Mike Miller's return from a concussion. Cavs head coach David Blatt will be inserting Miller into the starting lineup, sending Shawn Marion back to the bench. That gives them a wing defender their bench hasn't had through this point of the season, and should give them an even bigger advantage.
Prediction: Cavs win 106-92
Cleveland desperately needs a win to keep pace with the other top teams in the Eastern Conference, and Brooklyn is in the midst of trying to retool their roster. They're headed in opposite directions, and I expect that to show tonight.
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