Cavaliers at Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t been as crisp lately and part of the reason is the team’s penchants for slow starts. Portland strives for a better early showing when it hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. “I think with our success, we kind of relax a little at the start of games because we feel like we can make it a game if we get down,” guard Damian Lillard said. “We just have to get back to playing 48 minutes.”
Cleveland is just 4-16 on the road but one of those wins came Tuesday when the Cavaliers recorded a 120-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Luol Deng was 5-of-5 from 3-point range and scored 27 points in his third game for the club after being acquired from the Chicago Bulls. Cleveland was an impressive 13-of-17 from behind the arc while winning for the third time in four games. The Trail Blazers are just 4-4 since beginning the season with wins in 24 of 29 games.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), KGW (Portland)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (14-24): Deng had his first big game since joining Cleveland, and his presence is having a big effect on and off the court. He has quickly emerged as a leader, and his on-court play is taking pressure off young guard Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters. “There’s a lot more optimism and a lot more talent now that Luol has been added to the mix,” Irving said after the win over the Lakers. “He’s a great addition and to get him on this road trip was big for us.”
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (28-9): First-round pick C.J. McCollum had 10 points in 14 minutes in his second NBA game and is bordering on joining the rotation. McCollum missed the beginning of the season with a foot injury, and he can provide backcourt scoring off the bench when Lillard needs a breather, as he displayed in Saturday’s victory against Boston. “He was terrific. He kept us afloat in the first half,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said afterward. “He came in aggressive and he looked for his shots.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Trail Blazers have won five of the past six meetings, including a 119-116 victory in Cleveland on Dec. 17.
2. Cavaliers C Anderson Varejao had 18 points and 18 rebounds against the Lakers for his eighth double-digit outing on the boards over the last nine games.
3. Portland C Robin Lopez had 15 points and 13 rebounds against Boston for his 14th double-double of the campaign.