The Cleveland Cavaliers have been wreaking havoc all across the league heading into the playoffs. They don’t figure to slow down on Friday night when they visit the Barclays Center for a showdown with the sub-.500 Brooklyn Nets. But if there’s one man who could give the Nets a boost, it’s big man Brook Lopez. Can the Nets handle the fast charging Cavaliers? Read on as we break down this Eastern showdown.
Care for more NBA? Check out our complete preview for the Heat vs. Hawks game also on Friday night.
There’s just no stopping the Cleveland Cavaliers right now. After blowing out Western powerhouse Memphis 111-89 on Wednesday, the Cavs have now won eight of their last nine, including four straight wins. Cleveland has outscored opponents by an average margin of 12.8 in that nine-game run.
[sc:NBA240banner ]LeBron James is showing his versatility averaging 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and seven assists in the current nine-game run. But he struggled in his latest showing against Brooklyn on March 18, putting up just 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Cleveland made up for James’ limited shooting with a balanced offensive effort as the team finished with 32 assists.
Another night of excellent ball movement may be in store considering Brooklyn’s ability to limit Cleveland’s stars. James is averaging just 18.7 points in three games against Brooklyn, while Irving and Love are both putting up just 11.7 points per contest. They responded by averaging 16.3 assists per game among the three of them.
With James, Irving and Love dishing out dimes, the rest of the Cavs have combined to score 65.3 points per game against Brooklyn. Timofey Mozgov and J.R. Smith were impressive in their last matchup against Brooklyn. Mozgov scored 17 on 7-of-8 shooting, while Smith also had 17 points as he torched Brooklyn with 5-of-10 three-pointers.
The Cavs have won all three of their games against Brooklyn this season thus far, going 2-1 against the spread.
Betting on the Brooklyn Nets
If the Brooklyn Nets are to slow down Cleveland, then Brook Lopez will have to come up big once again. The Brooklyn big man was stellar in Wednesday night’s 91-88 win over Charlotte, finishing with 34 points on 16-of-26 shooting, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. He’s averaged 30.8 points, nine rebounds and 3.5 blocks over four games since a 117-92 loss to Cleveland on March 18.
Lopez should anchor the Nets with his inside presence against a Cavs team that ranks 19th in the league in points allowed in the paint (43 per game). But if Lopez is to gain steam, he’ll need Deron Williams to continue displaying his excellent playmaking. Williams has recorded back-to-back double-doubles in his last two games, averaging 10 points and 12 assists. Williams will also be a threat to fill it up himself. He scored 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting in his last outing against Cleveland.
Meanwhile, Bojan Bogdanovic should give Brooklyn a perimeter threat off the bench. He had 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting (2-of-4 from beyond the arc) at Cleveland on March 18. Bogdanovic is shooting 45 percent from the field, including 39 percent from downtown, in his last seven home games.
The Nets have lost five of their last six at home, going 0-5-1 against the spread over those games.
Writer’s Prediction
Add another blowout to Cleveland’s late season exploits. Take the Cavs to win and cover with ease. Create a betting account now and brace yourself for an explosive stretch in the NBA season.
