Lakers at Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers began a 12-game winning streak with a win at the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 15 and will try to begin another when they host the Lakers on Sunday. The Cavaliers’ streak finally came to an end Friday with a 103-99 setback at Indiana as LeBron James turned the ball over seven times. Los Angeles has lost 12 of its last 13 games, including back-to-back overtime setbacks, that dropped it to 0-3 on the four-game road trip.
James sat out the final seconds Friday with an ankle injury and landed hard on his wrist during the loss but told reporters “I think I’ll be fine,” after the game. The superstar forward put up 36 points in the 109-102 win over the Lakers on Jan. 15 but is averaging 22 points and five turnovers in three games this month. Los Angeles won’t have any sympathy for James’ nagging injuries with Kobe Bryant out for the season and Jordan Hill (hip) expected to miss his third straight game Sunday.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE LAKERS (13-37): Hill strained a muscle in his hip last Sunday at New York and is expected to be out until the All-Star break, leaving Los Angeles thin on the interior. The loss opens up more playing time for Ryan Kelly, who put up a season-high 20 points and went 5-of-6 from 3-point range in the 103-97 overtime loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday. “I think I was a little more active,” Kelly told reporters. “My teammates saw me (for) some opportunities, and I didn’t hesitate to shoot at all whenever I got it, especially when I got going.”
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (31-21): James and Kyrie Irving have both been consistently putting up 20-plus points over the last month but Kevin Love is still finding his way in the offense. The power forward scored 24 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday but sandwiched that around a pair of five-point efforts and went 2-of-8 from the field on Friday. “(Against the Clippers) I got the ball in the post a lot and I was able to get myself going early,” Love told reporters. (Friday I) wasn’t asked to score the ball, but LeBron and Kyrie had it going.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cavaliers F Tristan Thompson is averaging 10.3 rebounds over the last nine games.
2. Lakers F Nick Young went scoreless on 0-of-6 shooting on Friday.
3. Irving has hit at least one 3-pointer in 12 straight games since going 0-of-4 from the field against Los Angeles.