Live Thread: Cavs @ Bucks (#WombatCrossing)

The Cavs will find a familiar face on this second stop of their brief road trip tonight, as they visit Milwaukee which is now home of not only the Bucks… but also The Wombat. For those pining to see Matthew Dellavedova in action… here’s your chance. Only, this time his dogged demeanor will be used against Kyrie Irving instead of to back him up. Some say it should be a greatly anticipated matchup… although to honest, it probably occurred every day in practice when he was with the Cavs.

Yes, Delly is the starting point guard for this young Bucks team after spending his first three years of his NBA career in Cleveland. The Aussie guard is having a decent year so far, scoring 7.9 points and dishing out 6.3 dimes per game. His three point shooting is down a bit at just 34%, but his defense has been as gritty as ever and he’s brought his Championship pedigree with him in a leadership role on the floor for Coach Jason Kidd (who probably sees a lot of himself in The Wombat). For his part, it sounds like Delly is looking forward to going against his old mates…

“I’m looking forward to catching up with them and seeing them,” Dellavedova told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Obviously you develop strong relationships and friendships with not only the players, but the coaches and training staff. It will be a little bit funny playing against them for the first time, but I should know their tendencies pretty well.”

Meanwhile, the Cavs are looking to extend their win streak to five in a row by keeping the 7-8 Bucks down and under. Up until Sunday’s game against Philly, the Cavs’ big three had been taking turns blowing the doors off of their opponents early. Due (most likely) to their Buckeye hangover, it took three quarters before they felt like themselves against the Sixers. We’ll see if they can get back to their hot-shooting ways early against Milwaukee, a team they’ve beaten the last six times they’ve played them.

The Cavs will get Iman Shumpert back following a one game absence for a sore hamstring. Channing Frye (bereavement) however, won’t return until Thursday against the Clippers.

Probable Starting Lineup for the Cavs: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Kyrie Irving. And for the Bucks: Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, John Henson, Tony Snell, Matthew Dellavedova.

Game time is 8pm EST, and can be seen on FSO.

Prediction: The Wombat and his wisdom (that’s what a pack of wombats is called) make it challenging for a while before the Cavs pen them in 104-95.

GO CAVS!