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Key: Room for Dessert
After another record-setting offensive display on Wednesday night at The Q, the Wine and Gold close out the mini-homestand on Friday night when the Mavericks roll in.
Friday night’s contest is a matchup of teams going in different directions. The Cavaliers sit atop the East with an 11-2 mark – with an offensive that’s third in the league in scoring and leads the NBA from beyond the arc, averaging 13.5 triples per contest. On Wednesday night, not only did Kevin Love set the franchise record with 34 points in the first quarter en route to a 40-point outburst, but LeBron James notched the 44th triple-double of his illustrious career. The Cavaliers set the arena scoring mark, dropping 137 points on the Blazers as they moved to 2-0 against the West this year.
The Mavericks are off to their worst start since Dirk Nowitzki’s rookie season at 2-12 and have a lot of work to do if they hope to make a dent in the Conference.
In their last two games, Dallas has faced the Spurs and the Clippers. It doesn’t get any easier on Friday night.
Key: Whole Lotta Love
So much of the early focus this season has been on the difference in Kevin Love from his previous two seasons in Cleveland. And that contrast was never more evident than Wednesday night, when Love when berserk in the opening period of Cleveland’s wire-to-wire win over Portland on Wednesday night.
In the victory, Love – one of just two players (Anthony Davis) in the league averaging at least 20.0 points and 10.0 boards – went to work immediately, scoring 18 points in the first four minutes of the contest, canning his first five three-pointers and finishing the first quarter with a franchise-record 34 points on 11-for-14 shooting, including 8-of-10 from long-range. Love would eventually finish the contest with 40 points, his high-water mark as a Cavalier.
Love enjoyed major success over his Western Conference career against Dallas – and once again in Cleveland, averaging 22.3 points and 13.3 boards in four meetings as a Cavalier.
Future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki, whose been battling an Achilles injury all season long, will appear in just his fifth game of the year on Friday night.
Key: Triple Trouble
Only on a squad as loaded as the current Cavaliers could another future Hall of Famer, LeBron James, post a game like he did on Wednesday night and somehow not be the lead story.
But that was the case as the four-time MVP posted the 60th triple-double of his career – including Playoffs – finishing with 31 points, 13 assists and 10 boards. James moved past Guy Rodgers to move into the 17th spot among the NBA’s all-time assist leaders and currently leads the Eastern Conference with 9.3 dimes per contest. And as great as James Harden and Russell Westbrook have been out West, LeBron is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists while shooting 50 percent from the floor.
James has only played in two of the four meetings against Dallas since returning to Cleveland – both victories in which he notched 27 points.
On Friday night, LeBron will lock up with one of the few bright spots for Dallas this season – Harrison Barnes – who’s averaging a career-best 21.2 ppg and who’s coming off a team-high 22-point effort in the Mavs’ Wednesday night loss to the Clippers.
Key: Guard Rotation
In a point guard-driven league, one of the biggest issues for the Mavericks this season has been the health of Deron Williams – who’s missed the last four games with a calf injury that’s limited him to just 10 total minutes over his last eight games.
With Williams on the shelf, the Mavericks have gone with the MVP’s little brother – Seth Curry – who’s actually been performing well and is averaging a career-best 9.9 ppg. In 14 appearances this year, he’s already posted a pair of 20-point outings, including a 23-point effort on Monday night in San Antonio.
Opposite Curry, Kyrie Irving has posted pretty much nothing but 20-point performances. That trend continued on Wednesday night, when the three-time All-Star added 20 points to Cleveland’s already gaudy offensive total – handing out six assists in the process. Over the last three games, Irving is averaging 8.0 helpers per – including a season-high 11 against the Pistons one week ago.
Key: With Heavy Hearts ...
The issues facing beloved Cavaliers big man Channing Frye extend well beyond basketball, as he was excused by the team to deal with the passing of his father, Thomas, who tragically passed away on Thanksgiving – less than a month after Frye lost his mother to cancer.
As solid as Frye has been on the court – and he’s been exceptional off the bench this year – he’s one of the most revered and respected veterans off of it and the entire franchise, the city of Cleveland and the NBA world will be praying for and with him.
With Frye out, Iman Shumpert will try to pick up some of the scoring load. Always a terror on the defensive end, Shump is having one of his most efficient seasons offensively – and that continued in Wednesday night’s win over Portland – going 2-for-3 from long-range for the second straight outing. Cleveland’s second unit has been solid overall this season, with Richard Jefferson proving that he’s still got plenty in the tank and Jordan McRae proving that he belongs in the rotation at the NBA level.
The Mavs main weapon off the bench is second-year forward Justin Anderson, who’s coming off a 12-point, 5-rebound effort off the bench against the Clippers.