Cavs vs. Knicks Preview & Predictions

Cleveland's victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday extended their winning streak to four games, and they'll go for five in a row tonight against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

New York has lost five games in a row after falling to Brooklyn on Tuesday, and are looking for a win to spark a turnaround to their season. The Knicks did beat Cleveland in their first matchup of the season, ruining the Cavs' home opener.

Projected Starting Lineups

Cleveland Cavaliers (9-7)

G Kyrie Irving – 21.5 ppg, 4.9 apg

G Shawn Marion – 6.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg

F LeBron James – 24.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 7.4 apg

F Kevin Love – 17.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg

C Anderson Varejao – 10.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg

New York Knicks (4-15)

G Jose Calderon – 10.7 ppg, 4.3 apg

G Iman Shumpert – 10.8 ppg, 3.4 apg

F Carmelo Anthony – 23.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg

F Amare Stoudemire - 12.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg

C Samuel Dalembert - 4.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg

What to watch for:

LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony

This is always the marquee matchup when their two teams meet up, and it proved to be the difference early in the season. Carmelo outplayed LeBron - who was forcing things in his first game back in Cleveland - and New York won as a result. Whoever gets the better of this matchup will probably lead their team to a victory.

Knicks Bench Production

Cleveland's starting lineup is a good as anybody's in the NBA, but their bench is one of the worst in the league. The Knicks' bench outscored the Cavs' bench 41-12 in their first matchup, which helped make up for Kyrie Irving's and Kevin Love's production. New York can't go toe-to-toe with Cleveland's starters, but their bench can keep them in the game.

Prediction: Cavs win 103-90

New York is need desperate need of any kind of victory, but they're not going to beat the Cavaliers a second time. Cleveland is playing like a well-oiled machine right now, and they want to avenge their early loss to the Knicks.

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