Where: The Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
When: Tuesday, February 27th, 2007 at 7:00 pm Eastern
Last meeting: Monday, December 11, 2006
Hornets 95, Cavaliers 89
Probable starters:
SF: Desmond Mason
PF: David West
C: Tyson Chandler
SG: Devin Brown
PG: Chris Paul
SF: LeBron James
PF: Drew Gooden
C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
SG: Larry Hughes
PG: Daniel Gibson
Keys to the game:
-The boards. Cavs have been beat on the glass the last two games against Chicago and Miami. New Orleans is a good rebounding club, especially with Tyson Chandler and David West up front. Chandler is one of the best boarders in the game, and rebounding is his bread and butter. Cleveland will need good efforts from all their big men in winning the battle on the boards.
-Keep the Hornets on the perimeter. New Orleans can go inside with West and Chandler, and the latter isn't a good offensive threat. If the Cavs make the Hornets shoot jumpers instead of pounding it inside, they'll be forcing a team ranked 17th in 3-point percentage to beat them from the outside.
-No easy buckets. Foul and foul hard if you need to. The Hornets are in the same boat as the Cavs in the sense that they are horrible from the line. Make them shoot free throws if you have to.
Prediction: Cavs bear down on defense, outmuscle the Hornets in the end, 87-78.