Cavaliers at Warriors
The Cleveland Cavaliers are retooling their roster but are still missing the biggest piece as LeBron James continues to rehab knee and back injuries. The Cavaliers expect to be without James again but could have new addition Timofey Mozgov available when they face the daunting task of a visit to the NBA-best Golden State Warriors on Friday. The Warriors have won 13 straight home games and are crushing teams on their current five-game winning streak.
Mozgov was acquired from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a pair of draft picks on Wednesday and joins J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert as newcomers to the Cleveland roster this week. Smith made his debut on Wednesday but went scoreless in 18 minutes off the bench as the Cavaliers fell for the sixth time in seven games despite a season-best 38 points from Kyrie Irving. Golden State is finishing up a six-game homestand and has taken the first five by an average of 23 points.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (19-17): Cleveland has been looking for a rim protector all season and intensified the search when Anderson Varejao went down for the season last month, eventually leading them to make the deal for Mozgov. The Russian center is averaging 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds and is familiar with Cavaliers coach David Blatt from their time together with the Russian National team. “Coach Blatt is extremely excited to have added Timofey, and I think that's something that's a great fit for all of us,” general manager David Griffin told reporters. “...His numbers didn't need to be flashy. We've got three guys that are top-20 players in the NBA. Those guys can be flashy. We need guys that do the dirt work.”
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (28-5): Golden State does a lot of the things the Cavaliers have talked about improving upon early in the season, namely ball movement, spacing, pace and stinginess on the defensive end. The Warriors’ unselfishness is one of their better qualities, and they lead the league with an average of 26.5 assists after Stephen Curry handed out 15 while watching Klay Thompson go off for 40 points in a 117-102 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. “I was hunting my shots, because I was in a good rhythm,” Thompson told reporters. “The more I hunt my shots, and the more I make them, it gets other guys open because the opponent gravitates so much to the hot guy.”
GAME NOTEBOOK
1. Thompson has hit multiple 3-pointers in 12 straight games – the longest active streak in the NBA.
2. Cleveland F Kevin Love has posted three straight double-doubles.
3. Golden State’s home winning streak is the second-longest in franchise history (15 straight in 1989-90).