Suns at Cavaliers
Tyronn Lue has his first win as an NBA head coach, and now he has an opportunity to put together his first winning streak. Lue's Cleveland Cavaliers look to make it two in a row when they finish off an eventful four-game homestand against Phoenix on Wednesday.
After losing his debut at the helm following the firing of David Blatt, Lue guided the Cavaliers past Minnesota by a 114-107 margin on Monday, riding LeBron James' 25 points and nine assists. "Things are still moving fast for me," Lue told reporters following the victory. "I'm not used to it yet, but I think I'm ready for it. I think after tonight and the Phoenix game, I think things will start to slow down." The Suns are a nice opponent to face when you're just trying to get up to speed, as they've lost 16 of their last 18 games, including a four-point setback at home against Cleveland on Dec. 28. Phoenix opened a four-game road trip with a 113-103 loss at Philadelphia on Tuesday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona (Phoenix), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE SUNS (14-32): Archie Goodwin's sudden surge is one of the few positives of late for Phoenix, as the shooting guard has posted three straight games with at least 20 points. He was an impressive 11-of-15 from the floor en route to a season-high 26 points at Philadelphia and contributed a career-high six assists in 29 minutes. Goodwin's opportunity came when Brandon Knight was sidelined with a groin injury that is expected to keep him out for the entirety of the road trip.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (31-12): Cleveland might have an advantage on the sidelines in the form of newly hired assistant coach Mike Longabardi, who was the Suns' defensive coordinator before being fired the day that the Cavaliers won in Phoenix last month. Another change under Lue was his decision to put Tristan Thompson back into the starting center spot, which paid dividends with a season-high 19 points and 12 rebounds against Minnesota. Thompson is averaging a double-double (10.1 points, 10.2 rebounds) in 13 starts.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. James needs 36 points to become the 17th player in NBA history to reach 26,000 for his career.
2. Suns SF T.J. Warren had a game-high 23 points in the loss to the Cavaliers last month.
3. Phoenix C Alex Len has recorded exactly 12 rebounds in three of his last four games.