Two championship contenders could light up the scoreboard when the Cavaliers and Thunder meet for the second time this season. OKC is the second-highest scoring team in the NBA while the Cavs have improved their offensive output since a coaching change last month.
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LOOK AHEAD
Since Tyronn Lue was elevated to head coach after the firing of David Blatt last month, the Cleveland Cavaliers went 8-3 in their first 11 games, increasing their leads in both the Eastern Conference and Central Division standings. However, in eight of those 11 games, the Cavs surrendered at least 100 points, which is the most glaring difference between the team that played before the coaching change and the one that has increased their pace of play following Lue’s promotion. When the change was made, general manager David Griffin cited a lack of enjoyment in the locker room after victories and an overall deficiency in team chemistry. Lue believes the players are having more fun with the game now, and that has shown on the offensive side of the ball.
Oklahoma City completes a two-game homestand out of the break with Sunday’s matchup against the Cavs. The Thunder entered the All-Star break on a nice run, going 29-6 overall since Dec. 6 with nine consecutive wins at home. In that time, OKC is 17-2 SU and 10-9 ATS in games played at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
INJURIES
The Cavs are hopeful backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova is over the hamstring issues that forced him out of the last five games before the All-Star break. The week-long hiatus did allow him time for rest and treatment.
Thunder guard Andre Roberson remains out indefinitely as he continues rehab from a right knee sprain. He started some individual workouts as part of his recovery process, but there is no definitive timetable for his return.
KEY MATCHUP
LeBron James may not have forced the hand of the Cavs when it came to firing Blatt, but he sure has embraced the opportunity to play for Lue. With the new coach comes the promise of an increased pace of play, something James sees as a welcomed change for the Cavaliers. James loves to run the floor and is at his best when doing so. He likens the new tempo and spacing the team has shown under Lue to what the Golden State Warriors do offensively, a style that puts the opposing defense on its heels. According to James, increasing the pace of play and pushing the ball across midcourt with more time on the shot clock will give point guard Kyrie Irving more of an opportunity to facilitate the offense. And one of the main benefactors is The King. The tempo produced a pair of 120-point games just prior to the break with James accounting for 50 points combined. He’s scored at least 20 points in all 11 games since the coaching change averaging 25.0 per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
It’s tough to change a style of play in the middle of the season, but that’s what the Cavaliers are doing under their new coach. Lue wants more tempo and better spacing and the Cavs have responded by averaging 108.5 points per game since he took over, and that includes the 83-point clunker against Chicago in Lue’s debut. The increased tempo on offense has led to breakdowns on defense, and Lue says his team isn’t in shape yet to run the style he envisions. It’ll take more time to get there. The Thunder are already there. OKC is the second-highest scoring team in the NBA led by the ferocious duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Defensive breakdowns are costly against those two and the Cavs haven’t quite figured it out. Cleveland did limit OKC to 100 points in a four-point win at The Q back in December, but that was when they played a slower paced game. The Cavs won’t be able to run with the Thunder.
Oklahoma City 115, Cleveland 108
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