The Cleveland Cavaliers made a huge statement to the rest of the league on Wednesday with a dominant win over the Memphis Grizzlies, and they're looking to keep things rolling against the Brooklyn Nets, who are still fighting for a playoff spot.
Projected Starting Lineups
Cleveland Cavaliers (47-26)
G Kyrie Irving – 21.9 ppg, 5.2 apg
G J.R. Smith – 13.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg
F LeBron James – 25.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 7.3 apg
F Kevin Love – 16.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg
C Timofey Mozgov– 10.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Brooklyn Nets (30-40)
G Deron Williams –12.9 ppg, 6.3 apg
G Markel Brown – 4.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
F Joe Johnson – 14.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg
F Thaddeus Young – 13.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg
C Brook Lopez – 16.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg
What to watch for:
Who steps up for Brooklyn?
The Nets have a tendency to not play their hardest every game, but even if they do against against the Cavs, they're going to need someone to step up and play like a superstar to knock off Cleveland. Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez all have the capability of going off, and Brooklyn needs one of them to go toe-to-toe with LeBron James or Kyrie Irving if they're going to win this game.
Prediction: Cavs win 110-94
Cleveland has the best record of any team in the league after the All-Star break, and while the Nets have won five of their last seven games, they don't have the talent, depth, or athleticism to beat Cleveland.
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