What’s up with the Cleveland Cavaliers?
After losing three straight games, Cleveland is currently tied for the longest winning streak in the conference with three wins in a row. The Cavs have had to gut out their latest wins against tough opponents.
They eked out a one-point win against the Chicago Bulls in a game where Donovan Mitchell couldn’t get it going. He more than made up for his struggles in their back-to-back rematch, erupting for 71 points to power Cleveland to an overtime win over Chicago. Mitchell came back to earth against the Phoenix Suns and because of that, the Cavaliers had to grind out a two-point win.
Their recent wins have shown that the team can win close games even while undermanned. They’ve managed to weather the absences of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, with several players stepping up into key roles. Mitchell has assumed the lead playmaking role of the team while Kevin Love and Robin Lopez have filled in the big hole that Mobley has left.
While Mobley has returned, facing the Nuggets without a key player like Garland will once again test the mettle of Mitchell and the rest of the Cavaliers.
What’s up with the Denver Nuggets?
The top spot in the West continues to change hands, almost on a daily basis. The Nuggets held on to that spot briefly before giving it up to the New Orleans Pelicans. Now, they’re back on top, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies at 25-13.
Denver is 8-2 in their last 10 games. They stamped their class once again in the West with a resounding win over the LA Clippers. They didn’t need Nikola Jokic to dominate in that game as everyone had a hand in that big win.
That’s the scary thing about the Nuggets this season. While Jokic’s play still determines how far the team goes, he’s not carrying so much of the load anymore. With Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back, as well as the other players on the team stepping up, the Nuggets’ attack is more potent this season.
Murray is helping Jokic out with playmaking, averaging nearly seven assists in December. Porter Jr. had a 30-point showing in a win against the Kings near the end of last month and can be counted for at least 18 points per game. Aaron Gordon is having his best stretch as a Nugget and Bones Hyland is providing some punch off the bench.
This Denver team is scary good. They could grab a hold of that top spot in the West and never let go.
Storyline to watch out for
This a battle of epic proportions between Spida and the Joker.
If his 71-point performance has proven anything, it’s that when he’s firing on all cylinders, Mitchell can hang with the Lukas, Giannises, and Jokics of the league. His workload with the Cavaliers is pretty much the same as when he was with the Utah Jazz but he’s somehow elevated his game to a whole new level this season. Mitchell is an MVP candidate with how he’s playing this season.
Another MVP candidate is Jokic. After a slow start, he’s steadily ramped up his performance in the past few weeks. In December, he averaged a near 30-12-10 line, with four 40-point performances. He opened up the new year with a 30-12-12 game against the Boston Celtics to continue his run. Jokic is playing as well as, if not better than his past two MVP seasons.
This is the kind of game where a heroic performance is needed to pull out the win. So, which superstar comes out on top for their team?
Prediction
As good as Mitchell has been, Jokic is just better. He has the Nuggets humming this season and has always found a way to produce even against the toughest opponents. The Cavaliers have the bodies to throw at Jokic but it’s only a matter of time before the Joker figures out a way to win.
Where to watch
You can catch the Cavaliers try to extend their winning streak against the Nuggets live at 9:30 AM on NBA TV Philippines and NBA League Pass.
