Another Star-Studded Match Up at the Q
By Cody Norman
Just two days after welcoming Kobe Bryant and company into the Quicken Loans Arena, the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in another star studded match up. Kevin Durant comes in to Saturday evening’s contest averaging 29.2 points and 7.2 rebounds a night. The Thunder’s third-year player has recorded four double-doubles in ten games this month and averages eleven trips to the free throw line per game entering Friday’s contest in Memphis. Durant made some history against the Grizzlies on Friday night, as his 30 points marked the seventeenth consecutive game that he has scored at least 25 points, which is now the longest such streak for a player under the age of 22. Durant is aided by Russell Westbrook’s 15.7 points and 7.4 assists a night and better than 14 points per game from Jeff Green.
What to Look For:
Mo Williams will be out for about a month with a strained shoulder and the extent of Delonte West’s injury is still uncertain. Therefore, Boobie Gibson will get the starting nod tonight after playing very limited minutes in the last few weeks. Gibson is averaging just over 5 points in 16 minutes of work every night. His 48.3 three point percentage (42 of 87) is among the top in the league so look for Gibson to try to get himself involved early in the game. If Gibson is able to limit turnovers and get the ball in the hands of LeBron, he should get a lot of clean looks from the perimeter.
Prediction:
Cleveland got off to a slow start against LA on Thursday night partly due to the addition of a new point guard into the starting rotation. And on Saturday evening, there’s yet another starting point guard in the lineup for the Cavs.
After going down 30-23 at the end of the first quarter, LeBron James goes to work. The King cans on all nine of his second quarter shot attempts for 23 points and has his team down just a deuce going into the break.
Daniel Gibson failed to connect on any of his first five attempts in the first half but comes out hot after halftime. Gibson splashes home a pair of tres and shows off his new and improved mid-range game in a 12 point third quarter. Anthony Parker’s bomb puts Cleveland ahead 71-68 with two minutes remaining in third and the Cavs take a 74-73 lead into the final period.
Cedric Jackson spells Boobie Gibson to open the fourth quarter and shakes off the nerves to contribute a solid performance. In five minutes during the final period, Jackson knocks down a pair of jumpers and hands off a couple of assists without turning the ball over. When Gibson and LeBron return at the seven minute mark, the Cavs find themselves ahead 83-75.
Kevin Durant takes over for OKC and pours in ten points in just over two minutes to regain the lead for his squad. Durant and James go mano-a-mano for the next four minutes and Cleveland leads by two with under a minute to go.
Durant’s three bomb clanks off the back of the rim before LeBron takes it coast-to-coast and flushes home the hoop and the harm to ignite the Cleveland Chalupa lovers. James sinks the free throw and snags the final rebound as Cleveland takes their league best 34th victory of the season 101-96.