Tipoff: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, 3:30 p.m. EST.
Records: Cavaliers 24-20; Thunder 22-21.
TV: ABC. Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, AM 1590 WAKR (Akron)
Projected Starters
Thunder: C Steve Adams; PF Serge Ibaka; SF Kevin Durant; SG Andre Roberson; PG Russell Westbrook.
Cavaliers: C Timofey Mozgov; PF Kevin Love; SF LeBron James; SG J.R. Smith; PG Kyrie Irving.
Injury Report
Cavaliers: C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) out.
Thunder: C/F Mitch McGary (tibia) out.
Dribbles
1. The Cavs probably aren't too worried about old friend Dion Waiters, but they do obviously need to concern themselves with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The Thunder had won four straight until losing at toughie at East-leading Atlanta on Friday.
2. Meanwhile, the Cavs have won five in a row and are just blowing people out of the gym. If they played in a larger market, people would be going crazy. Instead, people are wondering whether or not it's real. But if LeBron is really this healthy, and the faces obtained in the Waiters trade continue to fit in so well ... well, this is very real. And the rest of the league needs to get ready.
3. Waiters made the rounds before the game, shaking hands and hugging everyone from Quicken Loans security guards to members of the Cavs' front office. As you may have seen in my tweet, Cavs GM David Griffin watched closely under the Thunder basket as Waiters warmed up.
4. Waiters said he expects to have fun playing against his former team and he expects to talk a little trash. Sounds about right.
5. Waiters is averaging 11.8 points off the OKC bench, which is better than the 10.5 he offered for the Cavs this season. But he is also shooting a career-low .398 percent from the floor.
6. During the five-game winning streak, the Cavs are outscoring opponents by 15.8 points per game. More impressive is how they're averaging a whopping 115.6 a night and shooting 50 percent from the floor. They have been, in a word, a machine.
7. And may as well keep updating this stat: The Cavs are 19-1 when they score 102 or more. That includes 11-0 at home. Of course, the Thunder are capable of scoring big, too. They lit up the mighty Warriors for 127 a little more than a week ago.
