With all the resting they are doing, it’s good to be cautious on putting some dough on the Cavaliers at this time of the season. However, do know that as of this writing, there are no signs that the team’s big three will be sitting out tomorrow’s game.
Cleveland will enter the contest having won three of their last four, with the most recent being a 125-120 victory over the Lakers. In the game, the trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love combined for 101 points and an efficient 58.6 percent shooting.
They will look to continue having that smooth rhythm against the Nuggets, who they beat just five weeks ago at home, 125-109. James and Irving, of course, headlined the scoring and facilitating, as they both had 27 points and also dished 17 assists together.
Although things have been rather shaky ever since returning from the All-Star break (7-5 SU and 5-7 ATS), the defending champs remain as the number one-seeded team in the East, and they are still top four overall in points (110.4 PPG) and offensive efficiency.
The Nuggets just lost a back-to-back to the Rockets after stitching together four straight wins. Their 29th-ranked defense (both in scoring and efficiency) was on full display, as they had no answers for James Harden, who blasted them for 79 points, 17 rebounds, and 21 assists in the pair of meetings.
Such performances on D are, of course, a big concern, especially since they are battling the Cavaliers next, another elite team, whom they also gave up 125 points to just a couple of weeks back.
What one could cling on to, however, is their explosive offense – they are also top four in the league in scoring (111.4 PPG) and offensive efficiency like the Cavs. Despite losing to Houston twice in a row, they were able to go toe-to-toe in both encounters, and only lost by an average of 2.5 points.
Also, as you may remember, this is the same core that outdueled the godlike offense of the Warriors twice in the past two seasons. The most recent was last month’s memorable 132-110 rout, where they dropped 24 threes and had three players – Juan Hernangomez, Will Barton, and Jameer Nelson – all contributing 20 or more points.
Adding to all of that dangerous offense, which should make you believe an upset may happen tomorrow, is the presence of Nikola Jokic, a unique player who’s been quite the steal in fantasy basketball this season. Since late December, the Serbian is averaging 20.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists, while also shooting 58.4 percent on the floor (34 games).
Denver is 13-7 in its last 20 games at home (12-7-1 ATS).
Writer’s Prediction
The Nuggets (+4) win after another huge offensive performance, 120-115.
