Cavaliers at Grizzlies
The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking more and more like an NBA title contender with each passing week. The Cavaliers will try to prove their standing once again when they visit the fellow title-hopefuls the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Cleveland, like Memphis, is comfortably in second place in its conference but is the hottest team in the East with a 27-6 mark in the last 33 games and just kicked off its road trip with a 108-90 thrashing of Milwaukee.
The Grizzlies reached the 50-win plateau with a 103-82 win at the New York Knicks on Monday and have won three straight and five of the last six to open up a 2 ½-game lead over Houston for second place in the West. Memphis will get a good look at their title chance this week with games against the Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. “It is more about how you are feeling and how you go into the playoffs,” Memphis center Marc Gasol told reporters after the team clinched a postseason spot with the win over the Knicks. It is something you can’t control much, but the way team plays matters.”
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), SportSouth (Memphis)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (46-26): LeBron James came back to Cleveland to lead the team to a championship, and he is taking that job seriously. James got on his teammates when they trailed by 11 points in the third quarter at Milwaukee on Sunday, and they responded with a 26-5 run that turned the tables and led to the rout. “My only goal was for us is to win, and win at the highest level,” James told reporters. “And I respect that (my teammates) allow me to be the leader of this team. I know when to press the button if need be, and I gauge my guys on the right way to do that.”
ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (50-21): Not quite to the same degree as James with the Cavaliers, but Memphis brought in veteran guard Vince Carter to help get the team over the top when it came to the playoffs and has dealt with some ups and downs from the former All-Star. Carter is shooting 34.4 percent on the season but buried 4-of-6 from 3-point range against the Knicks to help spark the reserves. “It is money time,” Carter told reporters. “The second part of the season for me is most important. When I was out I was trying to get as many shots as possible and get my rhythm.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. James went for 25 points and 11 assists in a 105-91 home win over the Grizzlies on Dec. 21.
2. Cleveland G J.R. Smith is shooting 53.8 percent from 3-point range in the last five games.
3. Memphis G Courtney Lee (sprained right hand) has missed the last two games and remains day-to-day.