Clippers at Cavaliers
The last time the Cleveland Cavaliers were on their home floor, they were embarrassed in an NBA Finals rematch. After letting out some frustration on the road, the Cavaliers return to Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday to begin a four-game homestand against the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers.
Kevin Love had 17 points and 18 rebounds in a 91-78 win at Brooklyn as Cleveland recovered from its stunning 34-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Monday, which snapped a six-game home winning streak. The win over the hapless Nets comes amid a challenging stretch of opponents for the Cavaliers, including the Clippers, who have won 10 of 11 after a wild 140-132 overtime win against Houston on Monday. J.J. Redick hit nine 3-pointers - tied for the franchise record - en route to a career-high 40 points as Los Angeles rebounded from its first loss since Dec. 21. Cleveland claimed both meetings last season and has won 19 of the last 25, as well as 12 of 13 at home.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (27-14): Doc Rivers' squad recently went 5-0 on a road trip that ignited its current 11-1 run, but the opponents left something to be desired; all five entered Wednesday's action with losing records. This trek features four of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference and the quintet has a combined home mark of 69-29. "I'm looking forward to the challenge," Rivers told the media. "This is a good road trip, because it's hard. ... The teams we're going out to play don't lose a lot at home, so it's going to be a hard trip for us."
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (29-11): Love and LeBron James (17 points, five assists) both got to sit out the entire fourth quarter in Brooklyn, which allowed them a little extra rest in advance of what will be the team's fifth game in eight days. James' minutes have been reduced in each of the last four games and he has fallen short of 20 points in three straight contests for the first time since his rookie season. The superstar has shot 44.5 percent from the floor in 23 games against the Clippers, his lowest mark against any NBA team.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Clippers PF Blake Griffin (quad) is not expected to return from an 11-game absence, but could come back later in the road trip.
2. Cavaliers SG J.R. Smith is 2-of-14 from 3-point range and 3-of-8 from the foul line over a three-game span.
3. Los Angeles reserve SG Jamal Crawford is averaging 18.4 points over his last five games and has zero turnovers in 93 minutes in his last three.