keys to the game

Cavaliers

The Cavaliers wrap up their three-game homestand on Thursday night, welcoming the Southwest Division-leading Grizzlies to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for a nationally-televised affair.

The Wine and Gold are coming off a tough loss on Tuesday night, dropping a home heartbreaker to the Heat. Cleveland played a solid all-around game – shooting 48 percent from the floor, handing out 32 assists and committing just 13 miscues. They also held the Heat scoreless through the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, but couldn’t take advantage – as Miami rallied past the Cavs over the final three minutes, with a pair of Jimmy Butler free throws and two offensive boards by Bam Adebayo sealing the deal late.&nbsp;

After wrapping up an 11-game win streak with a win over the Cavaliers two weeks ago, the Grizzlies (32-19) have hit a rough patch – dropping six of their last seven, including a double-digit loss last night to Portland. Damian Lillard went off for 42 points and the Blazers outscored Memphis, 38-22, in the final period to pull away for the win.&nbsp;

The Cavaliers would love to avenge that loss last month in Memphis, with Steven Adams tipping in the game-winner with 16 seconds to play. That defeat was the fourth straight suffered at the hands of the Grizzlies, who’ve taken five of the last six in the series.

If Ja Morant is able to play in the second half of the Grizzlies’ back-to-back, Thursday’s backcourt battle should be a great one.&nbsp;

Morant has fully entrenched himself into the MVP conversation in his fourth year out of Murray State – equaling his scoring average (27.4ppg) from a season ago, piling up 16 games of at least 30 points and a 49-point effort in a win over Houston. Morant comes into tonight’s game having scored at least 22 points in 14 straight contests – including a 24-point, eight-assist effort against Cleveland last month in Memphis. 

But Morant is only part of the Grizzlies’ dynamic duo on the backcourt – joining Desmond Bane, who returned from a two-game absence to tally 17 points in last night’s loss to the Blazers. The rugged sharpshooter from TCU is averaging 21.4ppg in his third year, topping the 20-point mark in six of his last eight outings, including a 25-point night in Memphis’ last meeting against the Cavs.&nbsp;

Donovan Mitchell, who missed last month’s meeting in Memphis, has been battling through a groin injury for most of this month and has topped the 20-point mark just once over his past five outings. On Tuesday night, the All-Star guard notched 16 points, but struggled from the field – going 6-for-17 from the floor, including 3-of-13 from long-range, adding a game-high nine assists and four steals.

Darius Garland led the Cavs in scoring and both teams in assists the last time these two squads faced off – notching 24 points and handing out 14 helpers in the loss. Over his past 14 games, the 4th-year man has been rock-solid – averaging 22.6 points on 46 percent shooting, handing out 8.8 assists per over that stretch.

With veteran big man Steven Adams – who led Memphis with 10 boards and scored the game-winning basket in the last meeting with Cleveland – on the shelf with a right knee injury for the next month, the Cavs will try to use their size advantage down low.&nbsp;

Evan Mobley doubled-up with 18 points and a game-high 15 rebounds in last month’s meeting with the Grizz, going 9-for-15 from the floor with a pair of blocks. Since that game, Mobley has been on a defensive tear, blocking at least two shots in each of his past five outings, including Tuesday night against Miami – finishing with 19 points, seven boards and four assists.&nbsp;

Jarrett Allen was also pretty good in the first meeting with Memphis – netting 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, grabbing eight boards and swatting a pair of shots in the loss. The All-Star big man was especially good against the Grizzlies last year – averaging 23.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per while shooting 88 percent (22-of-25) from the floor.&nbsp;

With Adams sidelined, the Grizzlies have turned to former Michigan State standout Xavier Tillman Sr., and he’s been pretty solid since having his minutes bumped up – averaging 6.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per on 59 percent shooting over his last five outings. 

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs vs Grizzlies

With just 30 games to play in the season – and just five more meetings left against Western Conference clubs – the Cavaliers are reaching that point in the year where games become more meaningful. And on the final day of January, they begin that stretch with a battle against the team hot on their heels in the standings.

Despite a .500 mark over their last 10 games, the Wine & Gold still sit in the 5th spot in the East, one game ahead of their guests on Tuesday, the Miami Heat. 

The Cavs washed the taste of an underwhelming road trip out of their mouths on Sunday night – smushing the shorthanded Clippers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in their return. Donovan Mitchell returned to the lineup and was effective in limited action, but it was Cedi Osman who stole the show coming off the bench – tying a career-high with 29 points on 7-for-7 shooting from deep to celebrate Turkish Heritage Night at the arena.

The Southeast Division-leading Heat (28-23) had won three straight before tripping on Sunday night in Charlotte. Miami led by nine late in the third quarter but went cold from there, and the 15-win Hornets surged past them in the period and never trailed in the fourth. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 28 points, but Terry Rozier led all scorers with 31 to sink Miami in the opener of its four-game trip.&nbsp;

After an extended run of misery against Miami – especially on South Beach – the Cavaliers have now won three of the last four in the series, with an average margin of victory of 21 points in those victories. In their lone meeting this year, Cleveland cruised to the 113-87 home win back in late November.

The Cavs won big over Miami earlier this season, but one factor in that decision was the absence of Jimmy Butler for Miami. He figures to be back in action for Round 2.&nbsp;

After missing last Tuesday’s game against Boston – (and disappointing a kid who flew 4,400 miles to see him before making it up to him times 10) – the tenacious 12th-year man from Marquette has returned on a heater, averaging 28.5 points on 68 percent shooting over his last two.&nbsp;

Butler hasn’t been in action in any of the Heat’s last three losses to Cleveland, but he has been on the floor for their last four wins – averaging 20.5ppg, 6.5rpg and 6.0apg with nine total steals over those games.&nbsp;

For most of the night, Isaac Okoro will get the unenviable task of trying to check Miami’s six-time All-Star.&nbsp;

Unless he has a big night, Okoro won’t be able to match Butler in the scoring column. The 3rd-year man from Auburn hasn’t notched double-figures in any of his last seven games. One of his double-figure scoring nights this year did, however, come against Miami – finishing with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting back in November.

Although his offensive numbers have taken a slight dip this season, Jarrett Allen has been Mr. Dependable for the Cavaliers on both ends.&nbsp;

In 45 games this year, the former Longhorn is averaging 14.0ppg and 9.6rpg. His .633 field goal percentage is good for 4th-best in the East; his 19 double-doubles are 12th. He’s also established himself as one of the more defensively diverse centers in the league, and his numbers translate to wins. Cleveland is 14-5 in games which Allen notches a double-double.&nbsp;

Allen has scored in double-figures in each of the last five games, doubling-up twice over that stretch. He had a quiet night – eight points of 4-of-6 shooting with six boards – the last time Cleveland and Miami squared off.&nbsp;

The man he’ll see on Tuesday did not have a quiet night in Cleveland back in November – with Bam Adebayo leading Miami with 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting, albeit in a losing effort.&nbsp;

Offensively, the 6th-year man from Kentucky is having his best season, averaging 21.4ppg. Defensively, he’s always been elite.&nbsp;

In 46 games this year, Adebayo has already posted 19 outings of 20 points or more and another eight topping the 30-point mark. His 24 double-doubles rank 5th&nbsp;in the Conference.

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs vs Heat

After wrapping up a three-game roadie on Friday night – their ninth game of the last 12 on the road – the Wine & Gold return for a well-earned three-game home stand, beginning with a visit from Tyronn Lue’s Clippers on Sunday evening.

The Cavaliers wrapped up their recent trip with a 1-2 mark after falling on Friday in Oklahoma City. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley had nice nights and the game was close through the first three quarters, but the Cavs – playing without Donovan Mitchell, Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love – ran out of gas in the second-half of the back-to-back. The loss dropped Cleveland to 10-16 away from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, falling in four of their last five on the road.&nbsp;

The Clippers are in the midst of a six-game trip of their own, and Sunday’s matchup is the second-half of a back-to-back to get it started. L.A. comes into Sunday’s game on a heater – looking to win their sixth straight after dropping the Hawks last night in Atlanta – with six Clippers finishing in double-figures, led by Kawhi Leonard’s 32-point performance.&nbsp;

After dropping seven straight in the head-to-head series, the Cavs swept L.A. last year. But the Clips stung the Cavs in a two-point thriller earlier this season out West, setting up tonight’s showdown.

With the Clippers in their current road situation – starting a long trip with a back-to-back – it’s difficult to know who they’ll have available on Sunday night. Kawhi Leonard hasn’t played in a back-to-back this year, and it’s unlikely he’ll start tonight.&nbsp;

Paul George has played in each of his last five, including last night’s 23-point, seven-point, six-assist effort in the win over Atlanta.&nbsp;

Despite missing 16 games this year, George is still putting together another tremendous season – averaging 23.5ppg, 6.0rpg and 5.3apg while playing his usual brand of tenacious defense. The seven-time All-Star comes into Sunday’s showdown with six 30-point games and two of 40-plus.&nbsp;

On Sunday, he’ll square off at times against a pair of Cavaliers in need of some home cookin’ – Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert. Okoro hasn’t notched double-figure scoring in any of the last five games and LeVert came off a solid homestand to shoot just 29 percent on the trip, including a 1-for-12 outing on Friday.&nbsp;

If George goes on Sunday, he’ll also get a look at Evan Mobley – who had one of his better offensive nights of the season in the last meeting against L.A., finishing with 26 points on 12-of-18 shooting.

Darius Garland has stated that he should be an All-Star. And his play – especially heading towards the midseason classic – says he’s got a case.&nbsp;

Since returning from a thumb injury on a West Coast trip earlier this month, the 4th-year man from Vanderbilt has been very good, but he’s turned it up over his last seven games, averaging 26.4ppg, with four double-doubles and three 30-point nights in the mix. The most recent such effort came on Friday night in OKC – leading Cleveland with 31 points and both teams with 13 assists in the loss.&nbsp;

Garland hasn’t topped the 30-point mark in any game against the Clippers, but he has doubled-up in each of the last two, averaging 21.5 points and 12.5 assists per.&nbsp;

The Clippers don’t rely on their point guard position much, but Garland will likely get a good look at Luke Kennard on Sunday night.&nbsp;

After missing the previous nine games with a calf injury, Kennard recently returned for the last two, going a combined 6-of-10 from the floor in limited minutes. Despite the limited action this season, the Middletown, Ohio native still comes into the contest shooting 48 percent from deep on the year.

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs vs Clippers

The Wine & Gold close out their three-game roadie on Friday night – traveling to Oklahoma City for a matchup with the surprising young Thunder at Paycom Center.&nbsp;

On Thursday night in Houston, the Cavaliers got a much-needed blowout victory – running out to a 26-point halftime lead and barely looking back after intermission, with Darius Garland leading the way on his 23rd&nbsp;birthday. Cleveland dominated in the near-wire-to-wire win – tallying 40 points off 22 Houston turnovers while committing just 10 miscues of their own. The Cavs handed out 29 assists, drilled 15 triples and got a combined 35 points from their bench in the win.

The Thunder (23-25) have won eight of their first 12 games in 2023, although they’ve dropped two of the last three – including a home loss to the Hawks on Wednesday night. OKC piled up 43 points in the opening period, but Atlanta was even better, scoring 30-plus points in each of the first three quarters and getting at least 18 points from each of its five starters. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander paced both teams with 36 points, but it wasn't enough in the high-scoring affair.&nbsp;

After dropping five straight in the series, the Wine and Gold have taken each of the last four against OKC – the previous three by single-digits – including 110-102 victory at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse back on December 10.

Friday’s contest will feature a pair of point guards who could still be named to their respective Conference’s All-Star squads when Darius Garland and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander square off in OKC.&nbsp;

Gilgeous-Alexander is having a career year and comes into Friday’s meeting as the NBA’s 5th-leading scorer at 30.8ppg – having topped the 30-point plateau in each of his last three outings and on 25 occasions this year, with three 40-point efforts in the mix.&nbsp;

The durable 5th-year guard from Kentucky has topped the 30-point mark just once during his career against the Cavaliers, but he’s netted ate least 20 points in each of the last seven meetings, including a 23-point effort back in December in Cleveland.&nbsp;

Garland is coming off a strong night on his 23rd birthday, leading everyone with 26 points, going 9-for-16 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from long-range. He also led both squads with nine assists and three steals in the one-sided win. 

DG the PG had a relatively quiet night in the last meeting between these two teams – finishing with 13 points and eight dimes – but was outstanding against the Thunder in two contests last year, averaging 25.0 points and 14.5 assists per.

Thunder rookie Jalen Williams has been opening eyes recently, and the Cavs will get their second look at the swingman from Santa Clara on Friday night, this time as a starter.&nbsp;

Williams last appearance before moving into the starting lineup came in that December 10 matchup at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, when he finished with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Since then, he’s averaged 13.0ppg as a starter, with netting double-figures in all but four of those 22 games over that span. Maybe more importantly, the Thunder have gone 12-10 over that span.&nbsp;

He’ll likely spend much of Friday night tangling with another Cavalier fresh off a birthday celebration – namely Isaac Okoro, who turned 22 on Friday, celebrating with a victory in Houston (along with a melted ice cream cake in the postgame locker room). Okoro netted just five points in the win, but was his usual stellar self on the defensive end.&nbsp;

And while the 3rd-year man from Auburn hasn’t put up big point totals of late, he’s been extremely efficient, shooting 64 percent from the floor, including 57 percent from long-range, over his last eight outings.

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs at Thunder

After falling to the Knicks in a heartbreaker on Tuesday, the Cavaliers close out their three-game trip with a back-to-back – traveling to face off against the young Rockets on Thursday night before wrapping up the roadie on Friday night in Oklahoma City.&nbsp;

The Wine & Gold fell for the third time in their last four outings – and dropped their second straight to the Knicks on Tuesday night, with Donovan Mitchell’s game-tying layup attempt falling short at the end of regulation. The Two-Minute Report confirmed that Mitchell – in his first game back after missing the previous three – was fouled on the play, but that’s little consolation for a Cavs team trying to rediscover its rhythm. Controversy aside, Cleveland allowed the Knicks to drill 17 triples – falling to 0-12 on the season when an opponent connects on 15 or more. 

The Rockets (11-37) are loaded with young talent – with 10 players 22-years or younger on the roster – but haven’t been able to put it all together again this year, coming into tonight’s contest having dropped 19 of their previous 21 outings, snapping a 13-game skid with a win over Minnesota earlier this week before falling to the Wizards last night. In that loss, Houston ran out to a 19-point edge before running out of gas after intermission. 

The Cavs had won three straight in the series before falling here in Houston early last February. These two wrap up the season series in late March at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Perhaps the brightest of Houston’s young stars is high-octane guard Jalen Green, the 2nd&nbsp;overall pick one year ago.&nbsp;

Green comes into tonight’s contest as the Rockets leading scorer at an even 22.0ppg, missing just a single game this season. The California native has proven to be one of the league’s more explosive scorers, and he doesn’t turn 21 until next month. So far this year, Green has tallied seven games of at least 30 points and a pair of 40-point outings – including a career-best 42-point effort in Houston’s win over the T-Wolves on Monday night.&nbsp;

Green was good in his lone performance against the Cavaliers as a rookie – finishing with 21 points, five boards and five assists in the Rockets home win over Cleveland last year.

He’ll have to be good on both ends on Thursday night when he locks horns with Donovan Mitchell.&nbsp;

Mitchell returned from a groin injury on Tuesday night and, after shaking off some rust early, notched nine of his 24 points in the final period – going 9-for-24 overall from the floor, including 6-of-14 from long-range, adding a game-high eight assists in the loss. Tuesday’s outing was the 10th&nbsp;game this season that the 6th-year man from Louisville has drilled at least six triples.&nbsp;

Dating back to his Western Conference days, Mitchell has gone for at least 30 points six times against Houston, including each of the previous two – averaging 33.5 points and 8.5 assists in the two victories.

As good as Jalen Green has been for the Rockets, they’ve got to be just as happy with the player they selected 14 picks later in the 2021 Draft – Turkish big man, Alperen Sengun.&nbsp;

The rugged center should be in the running for the league’s Most Improved Player this season, upping his numbers across the board. He comes into tonight’s contest averaging 15.5ppg and 9.0rpg – having posted 14 double-doubles this season, with two triple-doubles in the mix, including last night’s loss to the Wizards, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.&nbsp;

Sengun was solid in two meetings against Cleveland one year ago, averaging 14.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in the series.&nbsp;

He’ll face off against Jarrett Allen for much of Thursday night’s affair. Cleveland’s All-Star big man is coming off an outstanding effort on Tuesday night in New York – finishing with a team-high-tying 24 points to go with a team-best 12 rebounds, going 12-for-17 from the floor in the loss.&nbsp;

Allen, who’s now posted 18 double-doubles on the year, has posted some solid games against the Rockets over his career, but struggled in two meetings last year – averaging just 8.5 points and 7.5 boards.

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs at Rockets

The Wine & Gold get right back on the road after splitting a weekend back-to-back at home this weekend – traveling to New York for a Tuesday night showdown with the Knicks. 

The Cavaliers are coming off a redemptive loss on Saturday night, dropping the Bucks one night after a disappointing loss to the shorthanded Warriors. In Saturday’s victory, Cleveland took control early in the fourth quarter and cruised to the finish line behind a career-best performance from Evan Mobley – splitting the season series with Milwaukee and earning their 20th&nbsp;win on their home floor, tops in the Eastern Conference.&nbsp;

The Knicks (25-23) come into Tuesday’s meeting looking to snap a four-game skid, with their most recent loss coming on Sunday night in Toronto – allowing the Raptors to score 37 points in the opening period and playing catchup the rest of the way. New York, the only team in the league with a winning record overall but a losing record at home, won six of their first seven games of 2023 before their recent skein.&nbsp;

The Cavaliers had won four straight in the series, including the first matchup this season, before the Knicks hung an 11-point loss on Cleveland early last month in the Garden. These two square off once more this season in a March 31 matchup at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Odds are that Evan Mobley won’t hoist another 27 shots on Tuesday night in New York, but fans saw another side of the soft-spoken sophomore on Saturday night – and now the hoops world is wondering what he’ll do for an encore.&nbsp;

In his career-high 38 performance on Saturday, Mobley went 19-for-27 from the floor to go with nine boards and three dimes – tallying 14 of those points in the fourth quarter, going 7-of-9 from the floor as the Wine & Gold pulled away late. In doing so, Mobley became just the fourth Cavalier 21-years-old or younger to notch at least 38 points, as well as the fourth player in the three-point era to net 38 points-plus without hitting a single three-pointer or free throw.

Mobley, who’s now topped double-figure scoring in each of his last nine outings, has been rock-solid in four career meetings against New York –averaging 17.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per – notching a pair of double-doubles, including an 11-point, 10-rebound showing last month.&nbsp;

He’ll lock horns throughout the night with New York’s Julius Randle, who’s having his best year in his fourth full season with the Knicks, averaging 24.4ppg and 10.9rpg – both career-highs. So far this year, Randle has piled up 29 double-doubles along with 10 games of 30-plus and a pair of 40-point outings.

The Cavs have done a good job against Randle over the past couple years, however, holding him under 20 points and 10 boards in each of the past five meetings.

Jalen Brunson took on a lot of pressure when he inked a free agent deal with New York this summer – and he’s actually exceeded expectations so far, averaging a career-high 22.5ppg, good for second-best on the team, and a career-best 6.3apg, tops among the Knicks.&nbsp;

The former Villanova standout, who spent his first four years with Dallas, has already gone for 30-plus on seven occasions this season and erupted for a career-high 44-point effort two weeks ago against Milwaukee.&nbsp;

In two meetings against the Wine & Gold this season, Brunson is averaging 19.5ppg – coming off a 23-point performance in the most recent meeting in early December. 

The defensive-minded point guard will have his hands full on Tuesday night, taking on a red-hot Darius Garland, who’s been outstanding since returning from a thumb injury earlier this month.&nbsp;

On Saturday night, the 4th-year man from Vandy tallied his fourth double-double in his past six games, finishing with 21 points and 10 helpers in the win over Milwaukee. Since his return nine games ago, has topped the 20-point mark six times and has a pair of 30-point outings while averaging 8.8 assists over that stretch.&nbsp;

Garland missed the first meeting against New York this season and, despite struggling from the floor, finished with 17 points in the loss. He notched a double-double in each of the last two meetings against the Knicks last year.

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs at Knicks

On Saturday night, the Wine & Gold welcome the Bucks to town, looking to quickly wash the taste of Friday’s defeat out of their mouths.

The Cavaliers suffered what was almost certainly their most disappointing loss of the season, dropping a 120-114 decision to a Warriors team that played an overtime contest the night before, was at the end of a five-game trip and was without four of five starters. Golden State still scored 30-plus points in each of the first three quarters, handing the sluggish Cavaliers their third loss in the last four outings.&nbsp;

Despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo over the past four games, the well-rested Bucks come in having won two straight – scoring 130 points-plus in the process. In Tuesday night win in Milwaukee, Jrue Holiday led the way in a contentious game that saw Brook Lopez and Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr. square off midway through the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

The Cavs have won four of the last six in the series, although they’re looking to earn a season split on Saturday – dropping the first two games of the series in Milwaukee this year before getting a 114-106 win back in late December.

Giannis is once again in the MVP conversation, and yet the Bucks have continued winning without him. They’ve done so through the play of Jrue Holiday.&nbsp;

The 14th-year man from UCLA is having one of the best seasons of his career, and he’s been really good this past week – averaging 36.0 points and 9.0 assists in Milwaukee’s wins over Indiana and Toronto. The All-Defensive team performer has piled up nine point-assist double-doubles this year, with four outings of at least 30 points.&nbsp;

Tonight will be Holiday’s 35th&nbsp;career game against the Cavaliers, and as good as he’s been over most of that, Cleveland has completely shut him down offensively of late, averaging 7.3 on 27 percent shooting over his last three full head-to-head meetings.&nbsp;

He’ll have to be at his defensive best on Saturday, going against a red-hot Darius Garland.&nbsp;

Garland notched his fourth double-double in his last five games on Friday night against Golden State, leading Cleveland with 31 points and both teams with 10 assists. Since returning from a thumb injury to start a Western Conference road trip, Garland has topped the 20-point mark in seven of those eight games – averaging 23.0 points and 8.8 assists over that stretch.&nbsp;

The 4th-year man from Vandy has also been very good against the Bucks this season – averaging 22.0 points per through the first three meetings.

Caris LeVert has been one of the Cavaliers most versatile pieces all year – handling any role he’s been asked to play. With Donovan Mitchell on the shelf over the past two games, he’s moved into the starting lineup seamlessly.&nbsp;

For the second straight game, LeVert topped the 20-point mark, going 9-of-15 from three-point range and giving the Cavs a jumpstart when they’ve needed it.&nbsp;

Over his last eight starts, the Columbus native has averaged 20.6ppg. But the Bucks have done a good job on his defensively, holding him to a combined 4-for-15 shooting in two appearances this season.&nbsp;

The Bucks have moved Grayson Allen around the lineup this year, and he comes into tonight’s contest off a season-high-tying 25-point performance in Milwaukee’s recent win over Toronto.&nbsp;

The former Blue Devil hasn’t had much luck against the Cavaliers this season, however, shooting a combined 4-of-15 against Cleveland in two games.

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs vs Bucks

These are the tough days of the NBA schedule for most teams – wiping out the remainder of their big inter-conference trips in the final stretch before the All-Star Break. On Friday night, the road-weary Warriors roll into Cleveland to compete an extended tour and revisit a classic rivalry.  

After wrapping up their long Western Conference trip, the Cavs came home to knock off the Pelicans before falling in their return to the road in Memphis. Playing without Donovan Mitchell, who suffered a strained left groin in the third quarter of Monday’s win, the Cavaliers rallied back from a 19-point deficit and nearly upset the league’s hottest squad, but Grizzlies big man Steven Adams tipped in the game-winner with 16 seconds to play and Cleveland couldn’t get off a quality shot on its final possession.&nbsp;

The Warriors are wrapping up a five-game, eight-day trip and are on the second night of a back-to-back after falling in overtime on Thursday in Boston. In the thrilling Finals rematch, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum all drilled big late threes, tying the game late after not leading through the first three quarters and avenging a loss in San Francisco back in December.

The Cavs last regular season win over Golden State was a one-point victory on Christmas Day in 2016. Since then, the Warriors have taken 11 straight over the Wine and Gold – including a 106-101 decision on November 11 in San Francisco.

In a perfect NBA universe, tonight’s affair would be a star-studded matchup between two franchises with a heated history. But injuries and a grueling schedule might put a pair of heavy hitters in doubt on Friday.&nbsp;

Donovan Mitchell nearly notched a triple-double in the last meeting with the Warriors, finishing with 29 points, 10 boards and nine assists. Steph Curry led all scorers in the win, drilling six triples and finishing with 40 points. But Mitchell could miss his second straight with a groin injury, and Curry just logged 43 minutes last night in Boston.&nbsp;

With Mitchell out of the starting lineup on Wednesday, the Cavs turned to Caris LeVert – and once again the 7th-year man from Michigan came through, finishing with 23 points on 9-for-19 shooting, keying a big second quarter run and adding six assists.&nbsp;

LeVert has now scored 20-plus in four of his last five starts, averaging 19.8ppg while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 47 percent from deep over that stretch.&nbsp;

If Curry does give it a go on Friday night, he’ll look to continue tormenting the Wine & Gold. Over the last seven meetings, all wins, he’s averaging 37.0 points per, topping the 30-point mark twice and the 40-point plateau four times.

Since the start of the Western Conference trip a couple weeks ago, Evan Mobley has been very good on both ends – and he was&nbsp;really&nbsp;good on Wednesday night in Memphis.&nbsp;

The svelte sophomore from USC doubled-up with 18 points and a game-high 15 boards against the Grizzlies – adding three assists, two blocks and a steal. Mobley’s notched double-figures in each of his last seven games, averaging 17.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per on 60 percent shooting. Through it all, he’s been a menace on the defensive end.&nbsp;

Mobley was outstanding in the previous meeting against Golden State in mid-November, doubling-up with 20 points, a game-high 13 boards, four assists and a pair of blocks.&nbsp;

On Friday night, Mobley could see a lot of another player the Cavaliers selected at the top of the Draft in Andrew Wiggins.&nbsp;

After earning his first All-Star nod and fresh off an incredible Finals run last year, the durable 9th-year man from Kansas is having another rock-solid season, averaging an even 18.0ppg with 11 20-point performances on the year – including a 20-point effort on 8-of-13 shooting in Golden State’s win over Cleveland in November.&nbsp;

In 16 career meetings against his former team, he’s gone for at least 20 points seven times, more than 30 points twice and for 41 back in 2017.

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs vs Warriors

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