clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers game preview and how to watch

The second, and more difficult, match up in a back-to-back series this weekend for the Cavs.

Cleveland Cavaliers v Detroit Pistons Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images

On Saturday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers headed a few hours north to take on the Detroit Pistons. They played all four quarters and a final score was determined. Darius Garland and Collin Sexton dazzled once again and Andre Drummond looked mediocre in his return to the Motor City.

Twenty-four hours later, the Cavs are back at home where they take on the Philadelphia 76ers. This will be Cleveland’s biggest test so far in their young NBA season, but, the Sixers have been fairly disappointing out the gate and this could be a winnable game for the Cavs.

How to watch:

Fox Sports Ohio, Fox Sports Go, and NBA League Pass.

Projected starters:

In a surprising move, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff shared that both Drummond and Kevin Love, veteran big men, would be playing in both games of this back-to-back weekend. Granted, Love is on a minute restriction as he recovers from a sore Achilles tendon but there won’t be a hard cap on his minutes necessarily. It just depends on whether or not this quickly turns into a blowout against Philadelphia. Either way, expect more minutes for Javale McGee, Dean Wade, Thon Maker, and Marques Bolden.

Cavs: Darius Garland/Collin Sexton/Isaac Okoro/Kevin Love/Andre Drummond

Ben Simmons/Seth Curry/Danny Green/Tobias Harris/Joel Embiid

This section will be updated as we get closer to tip-off and find out more about who is and is not available for Cleveland.

Things to watch for:

  • The Cavs are about to rock, and we salute them: In Sunday’s matchup with Philadelphia, Cleveland will debut their rock and roll themed City Edition uniforms. A partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame introduce the team’s 2020-21 City Edition uniform, featuring a design and style that reflects the grit, attitude and spirit of Cleveland’s rock and roll roots.
  • Love is all Cleveland needs: After some time away due to a sore Achilles tendon, Kevin Love made his regular season debut for the Cavs on Saturday night against the Pistons. There was some noticeable rust and Cleveland’s offense looked like it struggle to flow at times. It will probably take a few games to get Love rolling again, but he should help accentuate the Cavs’ offense soon.
  • Drummond v. Embiid: Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid have beef for the weirdest reason. Embiid is a clear MVP-caliber player and Drummond is an aspiring social media influencer. There should be some drama on the court today and win or lose should produce an interesting matchup.