Cleveland is coming off a hugely disappointing 95-92 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, but are playing their first game since acquiring Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith and will get point guard Kyrie Irving back from a knee injury tonight against the Rockets.
Houston has now lost two of their last three games, the latest coming in a 114-105 defeat to the Chicago Bulls.
Projected Starting Lineups
Cleveland Cavaliers (19-16)
G Kyrie Irving – 20.4 ppg, 5.2 apg
G J.R. Smith – 10.9 ppg, 3.4 apg
F Mike Miller – 3.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg
F Kevin Love – 17.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg
C Tristan Thompson– 9.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg
Houston Rockets (23-11)
G Patrick Beverly – 11.7 ppg, 4.9 apg
G James Harden – 27.0 ppg, 6.5 apg, 5.9 rpg
F Trevor Ariza – 12.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg
F Donatas Motiejunas – 9.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg
C Dwight Howard – 10.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg
What to watch for:
How will Shumpert and Smith fit in with the Cavs?
Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith will be making their Cavs debut tonight, so it'll be worth watching how head coach David Blatt uses them. Shumpert figures to slide right into the starting shooting guard role because of his defensive prowess with Smith coming off the bench. James Harden will provide an extremely tough test for Shumpert, and will give Cleveland an idea of the kind of player they're getting.
****UPDATE****
Shumpert is inactive for tonight's game with a shoulder injury, meaning Smith will see a majority of the minutes at shooting guard.
Prediction: Rockets win 115-98
Houston is one of the best defensive teams in the NBA (3rd in points allowed per game), and that will be problematic for a Cavs team that has struggled to score without LeBron James. I think the Rockets will hold a comfortable lead throughout much of this game, and ultimately cruise to the easy win.
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