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The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off one of the more unlikely wins of this young NBA season as they take on the Houston Rockets.
Who? Cleveland Cavaliers (3-14) vs. Houston Rockets (9-8)
When? 7:30 PM EST
Where? Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Where on my eyeballs? Fox Sports Ohio
The Cavaliers have looked surprisingly competitive since the dismissal of J.R. Smith. After a good showing in a loss against the Lakers, the team got a quality road win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Houston swept the season series last year, but these are two teams that barely resemble what they were last season. While the changes to the Cavs are obvious, the Rockets issues are more about chemistry, execution, and regression than roster turnover.
Coming off an overtime loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, Houston should be motivated to turn things around and salvage what is left of their three-game road trip.
As is the case most nights, the Cavs will have a razor thin margin for error in order to come away with a victory. They’ve won the turnover battle in each of their last two games and have managed to hold a significant edge on the offensive glass.
Tristan Thompson was key in the Sixers win, and will have to go from outworking Joel Embiid to Clint Capela on back to back nights. Thompson has probably been the Cavaliers best player this season when you consider his impact on both ends of the floor. He will once again need to be a significant factor in order for the Cavs to pull off this upset.
Fear the Sword’s Fearless Prediction:
Riding high off the Sixers win, I think we see a strong effort out of this Cavs squad. While I believe the Rockets will win, the Cavs will put up a similar effort to the Lakers game where they compete but are simply outgunned late. Cavs lose 115-108.