Cleveland got back to their winning ways on Friday with a 95-91 win over the Brooklyn Nets, and look to pass their toughest test of the season so far against the Grizzlies.
Memphis currently has the second-best record in the league at 21-5, but are coming off of a disappointing loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
Projected Starting Lineups
Cleveland Cavaliers (15-10)
G Kyrie Irving – 19.8 ppg, 5.2 apg
G Mike Miller – 2.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg
F LeBron James – 25.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 7.7 apg
F Kevin Love – 17.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg
C Anderson Varejao – 9.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg
Memphis Grizzlies (21-5)
G Mike Conley, Jr. – 17.8 ppg, 6.2 apg
G Courtney Lee – 12.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg
G Tony Allen – 7.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg
F Zach Randolph - 16.1 ppg, 11.4 rpg
C Marc Gasol - 19.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg
What to watch for:
Cavs offense vs. Grizzlies defense
Cleveland is one of the best offensive teams in the league (102.7 points per game), while Memphis is one of the best defensive teams (96.7 points allowed per game). This is obviously a strength vs. strength matchup, and the Grizzlies have players who can guard the Cavs' 'Big 3' adequately. Whoever can control this end of the floor will win the game.
Bench Production
Even though Memphis is a defensive-minded team, they've gotten off to this fast start because of how their bench has sparked their offense. They come out and produced every single night, while Cleveland has the worst bench in the NBA. If the Cavs can match Memphis' bench, they'll drastically improve their chances at winning this game.
Prediction: Grizzlies win 96-90
I expect this game to be played at a slower, playoff-like pace, which favors the Grizzlies. Cleveland is good enough offensively to do some really good things against this Memphis defense, but this season has been no fluke for the Grizzlies. They'll get stops when they need to an pull away in the fourth quarter.
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