Live Thread: Blazers @ Cavs
2022-11-23Good evening CtB and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Tonight the Cavs will welcome the Portland TrailBlazers to the shores of Lake Erie for a primetime showdown. The Cavs will be looking to take advantage of a Damian Lillard-less Portland team, extending their win streak to four games and keep the heat on the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy. Portland has enjoyed a frisky start but now are mired in a three game losing streak amidst a brutal schedule. They’re going to be a hungry and desperate team, just like the Cavs were a few days ago.
Along with Lillard being out, Portland will also be missing Gary Payton II and Keon Johnson but will have Josh Hart back. The Cavs will welcome back Dean Wade but will not start and be on a minutes restriction. Caris LeVert and Kevin Love will both be out, along with usual suspects Ricky Rubio and Dylan Windler.
Judging by some of the numbers, the Cavs should look to pound the offensive glass and take advantage of a mediocre rebounding team in Portland (ranked 15th in defensive rebound rate). Also, the Cavs would do well to force turnovers and get out on the break for easy baskets. Yours truly expects the Cavs to handle their business by double digits.
Tip off is scheduled for 7:00PM Eastern time and will be broadcasted live on Bally Sports Ohio, Go Cavs!
Kevin Love set an NBA-record with 34 first-quarter points on this day in 2016 🔥
POR/CLE, 7pm/et, League Pass pic.twitter.com/CUlbI8s6k9
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) November 23, 2022
PodCast up
Current rookie rankings and draft order:
https://www.nba.com/news/kia-rookie-ladder-nov-23-2022-edition
Who returns first?
Love or LeVert?
Who plays first?
Rubio or Windler?
I assume Love, since sounds like the main reason he sat last was due to illness.
With Windler’s weird injury/ treatment, I’d say Rubio.
IDK where this puts us compated to other teams, but I think we have had 8 different guys hit 20+ so far. 3 different guys have hit 40.
Mitchell: 20+ (4), 30+ (9), 40+ (1).
DG: 20+ (6), 40+ (1), 50+ (1).
Mobley: 20+ (5).
Allen: 20+ (4).
LeVert: 20+ (1), 40+ (1).
Love: 20+ (2).
Osman: 20+ (2).
Wade: 20+ (1).
hell good stats
I thought we played Giannis well in the last game vs the Bucks, at least in the 1st half. But Lopez killed us on open 3s or loosely contested 3s. When we had Markenen it was easier to guard that strategy. Cavs will need Wade to smother Lopez at the 3 point line, on Friday. Bucks seem like a bad match up for us.
We were missing Allen & Mitchell last time.
Two big missing pieces. If you’re going to get the Bucks, right now is not a bad time to play them. They are banged up and struggling lately. I’d like for Lopez to not go full prime Klay, if at all possible. I’ll be out of town that evening, so likely missing the game, which is a bummer.
Hawks also beat the Kings to end their winning streak.