Cavaliers vs Trail Blazers
The last time the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers got together, Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving put on a show to remember. [ad-4468020]
Cleveland (14-24) at Portland (28-9)
Wednesday, Jan. 16 10:00 p.m. ET at Moda Center
Spread: PDX -10.5
O/U: 212
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Despite Irving having the upper hand early, it was Lillard who got the last laugh. The reigning Rookie of the Year took over late and nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer as time expired to give his team a 119-116 win at Quicken Loans arena.
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Now the two sides will face off at the Moda Center on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Cleveland
The Cavaliers came up just short last time these two met, but they were a very different looking ball club. That match took place before they traded the rights to Andrew Bynum for the production of Luol Deng—a perimeter player who answers a lot of their problems on both ends of the floor.
Getting Deng involved early, even if he’s not catching fire, is important in this one. It will keep the Blazers from putting Nicolas Batum on Kyrie Irving, leaving Damian Lillard to contain the All-Star guard. Chances are, you’ll see a combination of Lillard, Batum and Wesley Matthews on Irving all game long, which is why it’s also important for Dion Waiters to get going as well.
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Waiters had a fantastic game the last time the Cavs played Portland. The second-year guard took full advantage of subpar perimeter defense to attack the rim. Furthermore, he took advantage of the worst team in the NBA at defending the paint, scoring 25 points on an efficient 11-of-19 shooting.
Portland
The Blazers may have learned their lesson against Waiters last time, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be any less focused on Kyrie Irving. Everybody knows when you face the Cavaliers that the offense goes through the 21-year-old, and his ability to create for others is just as important to defend as his own shots.
As much as fans want to see another showdown between Lillard and Irving, expect LaMarcus Aldridge to be the Blazers’ No. 1 option. With the recent return of CJ McCollum to the bench, we can expect to see Lillard rest a bit more than we have in the past. It’s true that if he catches fire he’s the go-to scorer, but getting Aldridge involved early has been a recipe for success, and it’s one the team won’t deviate from come Wednesday.
While there’s certainly the chance for another close finish here, expect Portland to pull ahead in the end. The Blazers seemingly fell back down to Earth when they lost four out of six games between Dec. 28 and Jan. 7, and while losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings were problematic, they were also a bit of a wakeup call. Portland has taken down the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics in convincing fashion over its last two, and if the team is serious about returning to its winning ways, a similar narrative will take place in this one.
Portland 112 – Cleveland 101
