It is on! The #1 seed on the East, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the #1 seed in the West, Oklahoma City Thunder, will clash in a marquee matchup.
Catch the game tomorrow at 8:00 AM, Manila time.
AWAY: Oklahoma City Thunder (30-5, 13-3 AWAY)
Projected starting five:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Cason Wallace
- Lu Dort
- Jalen Williams
- Isaiah Hartenstein
The Thunder are blasting opponents all season long, allowing the fewest points in the league and ranking number one in defensive rating. They are also on a 15-game winning streak, where they fire off 116.6 points per game and win by an average of 15 points, while forcing opponents to a whopping 18.8 turnovers per game. What’s scary is they are doing all this with rising big man Chet Holmgren still out with an injury.
Nevertheless, what adds to all their defensive prowess is they also have one of the most skilled and best scorers in the game today in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who puts up 31.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game on 52.4% shooting. Then, there’s the mix of Jalen Williams (20.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.8 SPG), who’s basically SGA lite, and defensive stoppers Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace.
OKC is sure to make their defense felt, but look for the offensive attack of SGA and Williams, and the other complementary pieces.
HOME: Cleveland Cavaliers (31-4, 18-1 HOME)
Projected starting five:
- Darius Garland
- Donovan Mitchell
- Isaac Okoro
- Evan Mobley
- Jarrett Allen
The East’s top dogs are just growling on everyone. They have put together 10 consecutive victories, netting 125.2 PPG while allowing just 108.6 in return over that span.
Like OKC, the Cavs are also a reputable defensive squad, ranking 9th in points allowed and 7th in defensive rating on the season. Then, they also have a high-scoring guard in Donovan Mitchell (23.3 PPG), who, despite putting up a fairly lower PPG compared to season’s past, is always capable of smoking the opposition. He’s also paired up with a dynamic presence in Darius Garland (20.5 PPG, 6.6 APG), who’s sure to provide headaches.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley’s towering tandem in the paint will be an interesting matchup with OKC, and they’ll get theirs, but they’ll be sure to be challenged greatly as well. The former is a natural rim protector, while the latter is expanding steadily.
The Cavs have only lost once on their floor across 19 home games this season. The confidence the guys have in that building is growing massively with every W, much like their chemistry.
PICKS:
Spread: Cavaliers (+2.5)
Over/Under: Over (228)
