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The Cavaliers travel to Indianapolis for a rematch of Sunday’s game where the Cavs rallied from 20 points down to win 98-85. Cedi Osman exploded for 18 points in the 4th quarter and the Cavs’ defense held the Pacers to 38 points in the second half. This will be the Caris LeVert Homecoming Game.
A lot has changed in five days. The Cavaliers added Garland and LeVert. The Pacers lost two starters in Sabonis and Justin Holiday but added Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson. Sabonis was leading them in scoring and rebounding.
Obviously the Cavs have added a ton of offense, making it likely they will score more than 98 points this time. The Pacers lost size, trading the 6’10” Sabonis for a couple of 6’5” guards and TT.
The Pacers lost the inside scoring of Sabonis but picked up a couple of long range snipers in Haliburton, who is shooting 41.3% on 3’s, and Hield, who at 36.8% from deep is down a little from his 40.0% career average.
The Pacers are now missing their three leading scorers. Sabonis and LeVert have been traded and Malcolm Brogdon, averaging 18.5 ppg is questionable for tonight. He has a sore Achilles and has not played in three weeks. Considering the Pacers will be a lottery team I expect they will be very cautious in bringing him back.
So tonight’s starting lineup will most likely consist of three guards; Haliburton (6’5”), Hield (6’4”), and Duarte (6’5”) or Stephenson (6’5”). Duarte and Stephenson scored 25 and 24 points against the Hawks in their last game. Duarte had 22 points on only 12 shots the game before that against the Cavs. He was the 13th pick in this year’s draft and appears to be coming on.
Oshae Brissett, 6’7”, 210 pounds, is listed on the ESPN depth chart as their starting “power” forward now that the smoke has cleared. He looks like a small forward to me. He’s averaging 6.4 points per 19 minutes on 40.3% shooting.
With Myles Turner out and Sabonis traded the starting center is Goga Bitadze, 7’0”, 250 pounds. Bitadze is 22 and in his 3rd season. He averages 11 minutes per game. In his last two games he has four rebounds in 46 minutes, which is shocking for a man that big. That has to be the worst height-to-rebound ratio in the NBA. Against the Cavs on Sunday he had 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 turnovers in 16 minutes.
I assume Triston Thompson is their new backup center. He played in half of the Kings’ games averaging 15 minutes a game. I don't know what the Pacers have in mind for him.
The Pacers have some firepower in the back court between Haliburton, Hield, and Duarte. Those three can all light it up from deep and Duarte was a real problem for the Cavs last week. And Lance Stephenson, after being away from the game for a while, scored 24 in the Pacers' last game. But the front court will be a big mismatch in the Cavs’ favor with Allen, Mobley, Love, and Cedi against Bitadze and Brisset.
The key for the Cavs will be to prevent Haliburton, Hield, and Duarte from getting clean looks on 3-point shots even if it means getting beat off the dribble. Allen or Mobley can pick them up at the rim. Without Sabonis or Turner there won’t be too may lob opportunities or offensive rebounds, hopefully.
The Cavs need to watch out for Terry Taylor, a 6’5”, 230 pound shooting guard who comes off the bench. He’s a 22-year-old undrafted rookie out of Austin Peay. Against the Cavs he had 4 offensive rebounds in 12 minutes. The next game he had 10 rebounds in 24 minutes including 6 on the offensive glass. That’s 10 offensive rebounds in his last 36 minutes - pretty impressive for a guard, or for a center for that matter. He’s 4-for-7 on 3’s this year.
A lot has changed in five days. The Cavaliers added Garland and LeVert. The Pacers lost two starters in Sabonis and Justin Holiday but added Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Tristan Thompson. Sabonis was leading them in scoring and rebounding.
Obviously the Cavs have added a ton of offense, making it likely they will score more than 98 points this time. The Pacers lost size, trading the 6’10” Sabonis for a couple of 6’5” guards and TT.
The Pacers lost the inside scoring of Sabonis but picked up a couple of long range snipers in Haliburton, who is shooting 41.3% on 3’s, and Hield, who at 36.8% from deep is down a little from his 40.0% career average.
The Pacers are now missing their three leading scorers. Sabonis and LeVert have been traded and Malcolm Brogdon, averaging 18.5 ppg is questionable for tonight. He has a sore Achilles and has not played in three weeks. Considering the Pacers will be a lottery team I expect they will be very cautious in bringing him back.
So tonight’s starting lineup will most likely consist of three guards; Haliburton (6’5”), Hield (6’4”), and Duarte (6’5”) or Stephenson (6’5”). Duarte and Stephenson scored 25 and 24 points against the Hawks in their last game. Duarte had 22 points on only 12 shots the game before that against the Cavs. He was the 13th pick in this year’s draft and appears to be coming on.
Oshae Brissett, 6’7”, 210 pounds, is listed on the ESPN depth chart as their starting “power” forward now that the smoke has cleared. He looks like a small forward to me. He’s averaging 6.4 points per 19 minutes on 40.3% shooting.
With Myles Turner out and Sabonis traded the starting center is Goga Bitadze, 7’0”, 250 pounds. Bitadze is 22 and in his 3rd season. He averages 11 minutes per game. In his last two games he has four rebounds in 46 minutes, which is shocking for a man that big. That has to be the worst height-to-rebound ratio in the NBA. Against the Cavs on Sunday he had 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 turnovers in 16 minutes.
I assume Triston Thompson is their new backup center. He played in half of the Kings’ games averaging 15 minutes a game. I don't know what the Pacers have in mind for him.
The Pacers have some firepower in the back court between Haliburton, Hield, and Duarte. Those three can all light it up from deep and Duarte was a real problem for the Cavs last week. And Lance Stephenson, after being away from the game for a while, scored 24 in the Pacers' last game. But the front court will be a big mismatch in the Cavs’ favor with Allen, Mobley, Love, and Cedi against Bitadze and Brisset.
The key for the Cavs will be to prevent Haliburton, Hield, and Duarte from getting clean looks on 3-point shots even if it means getting beat off the dribble. Allen or Mobley can pick them up at the rim. Without Sabonis or Turner there won’t be too may lob opportunities or offensive rebounds, hopefully.
The Cavs need to watch out for Terry Taylor, a 6’5”, 230 pound shooting guard who comes off the bench. He’s a 22-year-old undrafted rookie out of Austin Peay. Against the Cavs he had 4 offensive rebounds in 12 minutes. The next game he had 10 rebounds in 24 minutes including 6 on the offensive glass. That’s 10 offensive rebounds in his last 36 minutes - pretty impressive for a guard, or for a center for that matter. He’s 4-for-7 on 3’s this year.
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