Cavaliers at Nets
The Cleveland Cavaliers got set for an emotional meeting with the Golden State Warriors on Monday and fell flat on their faces. The Cavaliers will try to put the pieces back together and begin a new winning streak when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
Kyrie Irving told reporters that Cleveland needed to “make a statement” against the Warriors and the team did just that, though not the statement it planned on making. The Cavaliers were run off the floor in a 132-98 setback and trailed by as much as 43 points in the contest – marking the biggest deficit of LeBron James’ career. Cleveland should have an easier time against the Nets, who have dropped three straight and eight of their last nine. “We’re still searching,” interim coach Tony Brown told reporters after a 112-100 loss at Toronto on Monday. “We need two or three more guys to kind of give us something.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (28-11): Cleveland still owns the best record in the Eastern Conference but is having some trouble against the best teams from around the league. “Against the top teams, you want to play well, and we haven’t done that,” James said “We’re 0-3 versus the top two teams in the West (Golden State and San Antonio). We’re 0-1 against the Bulls so far. We’ve got to play better basketball. We’ve got a long way to go.” Irving has been back in the lineup for those three games against the Warriors and Spurs and is a combined 13-of-43 from the field.
ABOUT THE NETS (11-31): Brooklyn is undoubtedly not one of the top teams around the league, and Brown is trying to guide the team while dealing with constant rumors about who will replace him as coach and who might be his next boss as general manager. The Nets got a combined 51 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists from Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson on Monday but the rest of the team was 17-of-42 from the floor. Brown is trying to settle the point guard spot and journeyman Donald Sloan is getting the latest chance with the starting unit and averaging nine assists in the last three games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Johnson is 15-of-22 from 3-point range over the last six games.
2. Cavaliers G Mo Williams (personal) rejoined the team on Monday but did not play and has sat out the last eight games.
3. Cleveland has taken five of the last six in the series, including a 90-88 home win on Nov. 28.