Pinto’s Preview: Clippers at Cavaliers

By Matt Pinto | POSTED: November 30th, 2005

TONIGHT'S GAME: at Where: Quicken Loans Arena When: 4:00pm PST Television: FSNW2 Radio: KTLK AM 1150

The Clippers will look to cap their most memorable November ever Wednesday (November 30 at 4pm PT) with a take down of one of the Eastern Conference's early season elite, the 9-4 Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena by Lake Erie.

Los Angeles rose up to snap a mini two game skid Tuesday with an exhilerating 93-84 triumph in Minneasota to improve to 10-4, in the process establishing a franchise high for triumphs in the season's opening month. The back end of a challenging back to back scheduling sequence will wrap up a brief two game road trip for L.A., as it begins a home and home with LeBron James and the explosive Cavs. The two squads to square off this Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

First of all the concerns for the Clippers entering this one; Cuttino Mobley, Elton Brand and Corey Maggette all played more than 40 minutes in the victory over the T-wolves on Tuesday night. Can they recharge quickly enough to compete with the athletic Cavaliers a night later? Sam Cassell overcame flu-like symptoms versus his ex-club Minnesota to deliver the game's biggest shot, a three pointer with 2:43 left to extend the Clippers two point lead to a five point advantage, Tuesday night. Can he muster the strength to hang with Cleveland's guard triumvirate of Eric Snow, Larry Hughes and Damon Jones? And will the Cavaliers full three days of rest since incurring their first home court loss of the season Saturday to Minnesota provide them with an overwhelming edge in sharpness against a Clippers team that didn't get settled in it's hotel rooms in Cleveland until around 3am on Wednesday? Valid concens all for head coach Mike Dunleavy.

But keep in mind that the Cavs have dropped two straight games, averaging a mere 80ppg on 34% field goal shooting in the process. They'll need to solve a Clippers defense that is tops in the NBA in field goal percentage defense, yielding just 41% effectiveness to it's opponents and is coming off of a game in which it allowed the Timberwolves to score just 84 points on 39% shooting. This one has some mighty intriguing elements given the circumstances that surround it. The Clippers boast the most balanced scoring attack in the league with four players scoring at least 15.6ppg, while the Cavaliers present one LeBron James who's pumping in 28.4ppg. Cleveland possesses Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, two of the game's premiere offensive rebounders against a Los Angeles team that's struggled to stop teams on it's defensive board. L.A. is scoring at a 99ppg clip while hitting 47% of it's shots and is confronting a defense that allows opponents to drill 46% of it's field goal attempts and an outrageous 43% of it's threes.

This one has the makings of a crazy and competitive night of NBA hoops.


:: Elton Brand to get the overly aggressive Drew Gooden into foul trouble. Brand's low-post polish and ability to step out on the perimeter with the quickness to beat Gooden off the dribble could prove a package a bit too versatile for the Cavs power forward to handle.
:: Cleveland's two key reserve cogs Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones to bounce back solidly from a nightmarish offensive evening against Minnesota on Saturday. An evening on which the duo went a combined 0-15 from the field and scored ONE POINT in 47 game minutes. Both are streak shooters capable of big nights from three point range. Both must be watched closely by L.A.'s defense.
:: The Clippers to do all that they can to build upon a second half Tuesday night in which they turnoved the ball over just four times in defeating the Timberwolves. They'll need to be sharp and very careful with the ball against a Cleveland team that averages 8 steals an outing in forcing 15.5 turnovers a game. Sam Cassell played without a giveaway versus Minnesota, he'll need to control tempo and protect the ball at a very high level for Los Angeles to keep the Cavs from getting out and running.
:: For Corey Maggette, coming off of a season high 30 point showing in Minnesota Tuesday, to give LeBron James all that he can handle defensively. James has seven 30 plus point performances this season and will get off a ton of shots in Cleveland's offense in this game will be forced to 'D' up against Maggette or suffer the consequences of Corey's ability to attack the rack.

Chris Kaman

Cleveland is 6-1 on it's home floor, having posted those six victories by an average of an astounding 20ppg before falling Saturday to Minnesota 89-85. It will be imperative in this game that the Clippers find the energy early to keep the Cavaliers from turning them over to generate a running game that can be overwhelming.

Los Angeles must then sustain the effort to keep turnovers to a minimum and do the job on the boards to hold Cleveland's second chance opportunities down. The Cavs rely heavily on accelerating the game's tempo at home while feasting in the hustle areas of coming with steals and offensive rebounds to make up for a somewhat suspect half court offensive attack. L.A. will do all that it can to play patiently offensively to force Cleveland to execute at both ends of the floor in hopes of simply outlasting the Cavs as the game progresses.

The Clippers showed tremendous poise in fending off a furious Minnesota rally late on Tuesday night to post their fifth road triumph of the season. In order to move to 6-3 away from Staples Center, they'll need a physically and mentally strong showing from the full 48 minutes in King James' palace in this one.