Cavaliers at Thunder
Kevin Love could be playing his final game with Cleveland when the Cavaliers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. The 31-year-old Love was been the subject of numerous trade rumors with the deadline to deal players arriving Thursday.
Love is in his sixth season with the Cavaliers and was a key member of the team that won the 2016 NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors but he is now considered expendable with the rebuilding team going through a miserable season. "I don't know what's going to happen," Love told reporters after Monday's 139-134 overtime win over the visiting New York Knicks. "We'll let the chips fall. I've been saying that, but I expect to probably finish the season out here and continue to play extremely hard." Red-hot Oklahoma City finished January with seven wins in eight games and built an air of confidence with a 12-5 record during the month. "In terms of the competitive spirit these guys have had for the entire month, and the way they've played for each other and with each other, it has been really remarkable to watch," Thunder coach Billy Donovan told reporters.
TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: FS Ohio, FS Oklahoma
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (13-38): Love scored a season-best 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting and also contributed 13 rebounds and six assists in Monday's victory. Center Tristan Thompson (leg) was a late scratch and the player who has spent all nine of his NBA seasons with Cleveland also is a candidate to be moved. Second-year guard Collin Sexton isn't going anywhere and he scored 29 points against New York and has topped 20 in five straight games and he is averaging 24.4 points during the stretch.
ABOUT THE THUNDER (30-20): Second-year guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists during January and continues to evolve into a solid all-around player. "I'm just trying to do more," Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters. "At the end of the day, be more of a complete basketball player, whether that's getting rebounds, assists, points, steals." Forward Danilo Gallinari scored 27 points and backup Dennis Schroder added 24 when Oklahoma City posted a 111-107 road win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday in its most recent game.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Thunder won five of the past six meetings, including a 121-106 road win on Jan. 4.
2. Oklahoma City PG Chris Paul had 20 points and 10 assists against the Suns and registered 10 assists in three consecutive contests.
3. Cleveland PF Larry Nance Jr. scored 18 points versus New York and scored in double digits in eight straight games.