The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to get their third consecutive win on Saturday when they host the Dallas Mavericks. The task will be quite a bit easier than usual as the Mavs will be without superstar Luka Doncic and some other notable players in the weekend matchup.
Spencer Dinwiddie (right knee, injury recovery), Luka Dončić (right quad strain), Josh Green (right elbow sprain), Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) and Dwight Powell (left thigh contusion) will all miss tonight's game in Cleveland.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) December 17, 2022
Not only will the Cavs have the advantage of being the healthier team, but they will also have the advantage of having just beat the Mavs a few days ago. A Dec. 14 matchup in Dallas resulted in a convincing 105-90 win for the Cavs.
That big win helped the Cavs get the bad taste from a 112-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs two days prior out of their mouth. Doncic was solid despite his team’s loss, finishing with 30 points, six assists and five boards.
He’s having an MVP-like season, averaging 33.0 points, 8.7 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game.
In Saturday’s game, the Cavs will surely look to lean on the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley in order to win their 20th game of the season. The 15-14 Mavs will definitely put up a fight, but the healthier and more talented Cavs team should be able to get the dub.
Mitchell is putting up incredible numbers this season, averaging 29.7 points, 4.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. Garland is proving once again that he is one of the best young point guards in the NBA, averaging 20.9 points, 7.9 assists and 2.6 boards per game. As for Mobley, he continues to show glimpses of brilliance and is putting up 15.1 points, 9.4 boards and 1.4 blocks per game.
After Saturday’s contest, the Cavs will get a quick break on Sunday before restarting their current six-game home stand. Though playing at home is always nice, things are going to get rather tough next week.
On Monday, they’ll start things off with a game against the 17-14 Utah Jazz. They will then face the dominant Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, Toronto Raptors on Friday and Brooklyn Nets the following Monday.
The Bucks and Nets will both offer serious tests for the young Cavs squad, and both games should offer playoff atmospheres in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Though the playoffs are still months away, things in the Eastern Conference are starting to take shape. The Cavs have done fairly well against top talent this season, but every additional win will surely only add to their confidence.
