This Wednesday, the (28-17) Cleveland Cavaliers will travel to Memphis, TN to take on the (30-13) Memphis Grizzlies. Tipoff will be at 8:00 PM EST inside the FedEx Forum. This will be the first time that these two teams have faced off this season, as I am expecting a battle in this one!
The Cavaliers are entering this matchup after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans, 113-103. They looked great on the defensive end of the court, as they will have to stay aggressive in this one if they want to challenge the Grizzlies on the road.
The Memphis Grizzlies are coming into this game after taking down the Phoenix Suns, 136-106. That game was never close, as Memphis dominated in the second half. They will have to stay efficient on the offensive end of the court if they want to beat the Cavaliers at home.
This game was written/published before last night's results.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, as they are five games back from the first-place Boston Celtics. On offense, they are scoring 111.5 points per game and they have shot 48.2% from the floor. This is the 26th most points scored per contest, but the seventh-highest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Cavaliers have an adjusted offensive rating go 114.3, which is the 12th-highest rating in the NBA. Donovan Mitchell continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 28.4 points per game on 48.4% shooting from the field. Make sure to check the injury report, though. He is currently listed as questionable with a groin injury. Cleveland has also shown that they can score from anywhere on the floor. They are shooting 36% from behind the arc, which is the 14th-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league. The Cleveland Cavaliers hav e been average at the charity stripe as well. They have made 78.1% of their shots at the line, which is the 16th-highest free-throw shooting percentage.
On the defensive end of the court, the Cavaliers have been tough to beat. They are surrendering 106.9 points per game and they have forced their opponents to shoot 46.6% from the field. This is the least amount of points given up per contest and the ninth-lowest shooting percentage allowed. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Cavs have an adjusted defensive rating of 109.4, which is the second-lowest rating in the NBA. The Cavs have also shown that they struggle to defend on the perimeter at times. They have allowed their opponents to shoot 36.6% from behind the arc, which is the 24th-lowest three-point shooting percentage in the league. Cleveland will also have to consistently crash the offensive and defensive glass, as they are snatching 42.5 rebounds per game, which is the 20th most.
Injury Report: Donovan Mitchell SG (Groin) is questionable. Dylan Windler SG (Ankle) and Dean Wade SF (Shoulder) are out.
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