Cleveland has the longest current win streak in the NBA with 12 straight victories, the latest win coming last night in a 105-94 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. They'll try to extend that tonight against the Indiana Pacers, who have won two of their last three games, including a 114-109 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
The Cavs took the first meeting between these two sides on November 29, winning 109-97.
Projected Starting Lineups
Cleveland Cavaliers (31-20)
G Kyrie Irving – 21.6 ppg, 5.2 apg
G J.R. Smith – 13.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg
F LeBron James – 26.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 7.4 apg
F Kevin Love – 17.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg
C Timofey Mozgov– 9.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg
Indiana Pacers (18-32)
G George Hill –14.2 ppg, 3.0 apg
G Rodney Stuckey – 11.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg
F C.J. Miles – 12.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg
F David West – 12.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg
C Roy Hibbert – 11.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg
What to watch for:
Can Kevin Love turn his good game into a hot streak?
Love finally broke out of his seemingly season-long slump with a 23-point, nine-rebound performance against the Clippers last night without playing in the fourth quarter. Cleveland got him the ball early to get him going, and he responded with the first eight points of the game. It'll be interesting to see if he can keep up this level of play and if the Cavs continue to make him a priority offensively.
What impact will George Hill have on Indiana's offense?
Hill returned from injury on January 23, and he's provided a much-needed boost to Indiana's offense. Not only is Hill the team's leading scorer at 14.2 points per game, but he helps facilitate the ball and makes everyone else better. The Pacers are averaging 99.2 points a game as a team since Hill's return, up from the 95.4 points they average on the season. His production is important tonight because the Pacers need to find some way to keep up with Cleveland's high-powered offensive attack.
Prediction: Cavs win 106-91
Indiana is playing better of late having won three of their last five games, but Cleveland is playing as well as anyone in the league right now and the Pacers don't have the talent to really challenge the Cavs.
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