Cleveland was able to to grab their first win of the season over the Chicago Bulls in an overtime thriller on Friday night, and now start a three-game West Coast road trip in Portland.
The Blazers have gotten off to a slow start to their season, and are on a two-game losing streak after falling to the Kings and the Warriors.
Projected Starting Lineups
Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1)
G Kyrie Irving - 22.5 ppg, 5.0 apg
G Dion Waiters - 9.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
F LeBron James – 26.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.0 apg
F Kevin Love – 17.5 ppg, 15.0 rpg
C Anderson Varejao – 10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Portland Trail Blazers (1-2)
G Damian Lillard - 13.7 ppg, 4.0 apg
G Wesley Matthews - 18.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg
F Nicolas Batum – 9.3 ppg, 6.3 apg
F LaMarcus Aldridge - 25.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg
C Robin Lopez - 10.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg
What to watch for:
Damian Lillard vs. Kyrie Irving
This is a matchup between two of the best young point guards in the league, both of whom were All-Stars last year. Irving has more going for him of late - he was the starting point guard on Team USA's FIBA World Cup team (Lillard didn't make the roster), and has had a strong start to his season.
Lillard has considerably struggled through Portland's first three games and is the most prominent reason for their slow start. However, he's the kind of player who saves his best for the biggest games, and Irving isn't exactly a great defender. Whoever can win this matchup will give their team the edge.
Bench Production
Both starting lineups actually match up well with each other, and while the Cavs will still have a slight edge because they have more talent, Portland's starting five is good enough to keep it close when they're on the floor together.
That means bench production could swing this game one way or the other, and neither squad has a good bench. Portland relies on old veterans Steve Blake and Chris Kaman, while Cleveland relies on Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson. Whichever unit can gain the upper hand on the other will probably give their team the win.
Prediction: Cavs win 99-96
This game should be back and forth throughout and come down to the 4th quarter, and I expect the Cavaliers to take over the game late like they did against the Bulls. They have more talent and more scorers, which will push them over the top.
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