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Key: Grand Central
With a pair of days off to mend and reflect after dropping their first three games of a four-game homestand – and nine straight overall – the Wine & Gold welcome the Indiana Pacers to The Q on Tuesday night. Following tonight’s home tilt, the Cavaliers hit the road for a six-game, 11-day trip that promises even tougher challenges than the ones they’ve recently faced at home.
Before they heed the call of the west, however, they’ve got some Central Division business to settle against the last team they beat back on December 18.
It’s been a long time between that thriller in Indiana and last Saturday night’s lopsided loss to the Pelicans for the Wine & Gold, who trailed by at least 30 points in the second half of both games over the weekend. Following the game, a disappointed Larry Drew hinted at lineup changes as his squad heads into the longest roadie of the season.
The Pacers surprised experts last season and they’re doing it again one season late – sporting the East’s third-best record at the halfway point, winning six straight before the Raptors slowed them down on Sunday night.
In the last meeting between these two teams, Larry Nance Jr. tipped in a game-winner at the buzzer to give Cleveland the 92-91 thriller. The Cavs would love nothing more than some of that magic on Tuesday night.
Key: Flying V
Planning for the Pacers begins with their All-Star shooting guard, Victor Oladipo, who established himself as one of the best two-way players in the Conference last year and is right back on track in 2018-19.
He cooled off slightly in Indy’s recent loss to the Raptors – one game removed from his 36-point outburst two nights earlier in Chicago, going 14-of-28 from the floor, including the game-winning three-pointer with 0.3 to play in overtime.
Oladipo had scored at least 20 points in 13 straight games before being sidelined with a knee injury and hasn’t quite found his rhythm since returning back on December 12.
The former Indiana star went off for 24 points in the Pacers first visit to The Q back in late October, but Cleveland held him in check last month in Indiana – finishing with just 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
He was blanketed by David Nwaba in that Cavs’ win, but it’s unlikely Larry Drew will have the gritty swingman available on Tuesday.
Rodney Hood returned to the lineup for two games late last week – averaging 12.5 points on 62 percent shooting – but was back on the shelf for Saturday’s loss to New Orleans.
If he’s healthy, it’s likely to get that assignment on Tuesday night. If he’s unable to go, the nod will likely go to Alec Burks.
Key: Center of Attention
Tristan Thompson is working his way back into a rhythm after missing 10 games with a sprained left foot – netting double-figure scoring in two of those three contests, double-digit rebounds in two.
On Saturday night – Thompson’s 549th game as a Cavalier, passing Brad Daugherty for 9th all-time – Thompson notched his 16th double-double of the season, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting to go with a team-high 11 boards, two steals and a block.
The 8th-year man from Texas was still out in the last meeting between these two, and to say Larry Nance Jr. filled in admirably would be an understatement.
Getting the start at center, Nance Jr. netted his third double-double of the season – finishing with 15 points, a career-best 16 boards and game-highs of six assists and three steals.
Regardless of who’s started in the post for Cleveland, they’ve had to face one of the better two-way young bigs in the East – Myles Turner.
He’s not the league’s most tenacious rebounders, but he is its best shot-blocker, coming into tonight’s contest averaging 2.78 swats per.
Turner – who’s hoping to return from a shoulder injury – rejected three Cavalier offerings in the first meeting this season and four more on December 18, doubling-up with 12 points in that contest.
Key: Facing Forward
It seems like all the buttons Nate McMillan has pushed this year has worked for Indiana, including the continued growth of Bojan Bogdanovic – who’s having his best season as a pro.
The fifth-year man from Bosnia has scored in double-figures in a career-best 30 straight games headed into tonight’s contest, including a team-high 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting against Toronto.
Currently the league’s sixth-ranked three-point shooter, Bogdanovic has had some big games against the Wine & Gold – including a 30-point outburst in Game 3 of last year’s First Round series and a 25-point performance on 10-of-14 shooting in Indiana’s October victory at The Q.
Unless Coach Larry Drew decides on a lineup change, Bogdanovic will likely face off against Cedi Osman. The sophomore from Macedonia has had an up-and-down season as a starter and, unfortunately, he’s in a down phase.
After dropping 22 points on the Hawks last Saturday night, Osman has averaged 10.0 points on 37 percent shooting over his next three. Osman, who finished with five boards and three steals in the recent loss to the Pelicans, still has 24 double-digit scoring performances this season – including five of 20-plus.
Key: Reserve Judgement
If Myles Turner is able to return to the lineup for Indiana tonight, that moves one of the league’s best young reserves – Domantas Sabonis – back to the bench.
Filling in for Turner in Indy’s recent loss to the Raptors, Sabonis notched his team-leading 18th double-double, finishing with 16 points and 11 boards.
Sabonis doubled-up in each of his two starts in place of Turner and has done so three times against the Cavaliers and is the top reserve among Indiana’s outstanding second unit that also features Cory Joseph, Doug McDermott and Tyreke Evans.
The Wine & Gold’s second unit has kept them above water on several occasions this season – led, of course, by Jordan Clarkson, who finished with a game-high 23 points in Saturday’s loss, his 35th double-digit scoring contest this season.
Over his last 12 outings, the fifth-year man from Mizzou is averaging 19.1 points per – and his 16.9 ppg number is good for 3rd among all NBA reserves.
Clarkson got some help from an unlikely source on Saturday – with two-way guy Jalen Jones coming off the bench to tally 15 points in the loss.