The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Oklahoma City tonight to take on the Thunder in a matchup of two surging teams that are loaded with expectations. Tipoff is set for 8:00pm EST, as the Thunder are listed as a 2.5-point favorite.
Rocky Starts
The season hasn’t started off quite a well as LeBron James and Kevin Durant have would have hoped for their respective teams. Although their paths have been very different, The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder both found themselves in disappointing early slumps to begin their 2014-15 season campaigns.
The Thunder started the season with Durant sitting out and healing from an offseason foot surgery that ended up sidelining him until his return on Dec 2. Russell Westbrook injured his hand early in the season and missed 14 straight games. During that stretch of their top two players sitting out, the Thunder had to deal with several more injuries to key players such as Reggie Jackson, Anthony Morrow, Jeremy Lamb, and Perry Jones.
OKC stumbled to a 3-12 start, and fell to the bottom of the Western Conference. The team was able to retain their defensive prowess, but struggled to put points on the board with so much of their offensive firepower sidelined.
Since the return of Durant and Westbrook, the Thunder have won four of five and are currently riding a season-high three game win streak behind the usual big performances of their all-star duo.
Despite initially being limited to 30 game minutes as he slowly returns to his full form, Durant has managed to post an impressive stat line of 22.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. Westbrook is averaging 24.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game.
After a headline making offseason that saw LeBron James return to his former team with all-star Kevin Love in tow, expectations have skyrocketed for the Cavs. Kyrie Irving was considered the completing piece of the new Big Three, and the basketball world watched with anticipation as the season began, eager to see if LeBron finally had all the pieces he needed to bring a championship home to Cleveland.
The Cavaliers’ new personnel didn’t mesh as well as first year head coach Dave Blatt had hoped. Cleveland’s offensive game seemed scattered, and their defensive side lacked cohesion. After a mediocre 5-3 start, the Cavs lost four straight and found themselves sitting at 5-7.
Fast forward several weeks, and things have come together. The Cavs have since reeled off eight straight wins and are now just two games back from first place Toronto.
James was quick to refer to his words earlier in the season.
“I said it would take us a couple months, maybe even a few to kind of hit our stride,” said James. “But I don’t really get too high or too low, I kinda stay even keel, it’s such a long season.”
LeBron vs. Durant
This matchup marks the first of two regular season meetings between what most consider the two best players in the NBA. The two players have combined to win the last three MVP awards, with Durant winning last season’s. James finished second in the voting. Durant finished second to James in 2013, the last time he won while still a member of the Miami Heat.
Despite the high level of play between both players, LeBron has had an overwhelming edge against Durant since the series began. James is 13-4 against the Thunder since the start of 2008-09, including a 4-1 record against OKC when Miami defeated them in the 2012 NBA Finals with LeBron at the helm. He’s since won three of the last four meetings, averaging 33.8 points on a staggering 61.6 percent shooting. Overall, James is averaging 28.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 6.4 rebounds against the Thunder.
Although LeBron currently has the advantage over Durant in win column, Durant has more than held his own, averaging 29.2 points, 3.2 assists, and 6.7 rebounds when playing against James.
Prediction
The two players know that a win will provide much-needed validation for two teams looking to shake off early season struggles at they gear up for a long haul that will likely see both teams in the playoffs, although the Thunder have a much bigger hill to climb.
With Oklahoma City playing in front of their home crowd and a restored sense of confidence and urgency after finally getting all of their team back, look for the Thunder to cover the spread and post their fourth straight win.
