Cavaliers vs. Heat
Tipoff: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, 8 p.m.
Records: Cavaliers 48-27; Heat 34-40.
TV: TNT. Radio: WTAM-AM 1100 flagship; WAKR-AM 1590 Akron.
Projected Starters
Heat: C Hassan Whiteside; PF Luol Deng; SF Henry Walker; SG Dwyane Wade; PG Goran Dragic.
Cavaliers: C Timofey Mozgov; PF Tristan Thompson; SF LeBron James; SG J.R. Smith; PG Kyrie Irving.
Injury Report
Cavaliers: PG Kyrie Irving (sick) probable; PF Kevin Love (back) out; C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) out.
Heat: SG Dwyane Wade (sick) questionable; SF Luol Deng (knee) questionable; PF Udonis Haslem (sick) questionable; C Hassan Whiteside (hand) probable; PG Shabazz Napier (hernia) out; PF Josh McRoberts (knee) out; PF/C Chris Bosh (blood clots) out.
Dribbles
1. Well, at least LeBron James is playing.
2. Other than that, this is one of those "Welcome to April" games. Although none of the many injuries are being invented. The Cavs can afford to be cautious, but the Heat cannot. They are fighting for their playoff lives.
3. Let's start with the Cavs. Kevin Love is out after taking an elbow to an already iffy lower back in Sunday's loss to the 76ers. Cavs coach David Blatt said Love woke up feeling stiff Thursday so the team "decided to be cautious and hold him out."
4. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving is sick and missed shootaround, but Blatt said he expects Irving to play.
5. As for the Heat, Dwyane Wade is also sick, but said shortly before tipoff that he will play. Loul Deng has a bruised knee but was on the floor shooting beforehand and is expected to give it a go.
6. No word on Udonis Haslem, but at this point, my guess is you've stopped caring.
7. The Heat are tied with the Nets, record-wise, and are currently clinging to the East's No. 7 seed by the thinnest of threads. Both the Heat and Nets lead the ninth-seeded Celtics by a mere half-game.
8. The Cavs are three games in front of the Raptors and Bulls for the No. 2 seed. Although it's actually four games over the Raptors, since the Cavs own the tiebreaker. They still have a game left vs. the Bulls (Easter Sunday in Cleveland).
9. Since the Cavs' 16-game home winning streak began Jan. 19, they lead the NBA in opponent field-goal percentage at home. The Cavs are limiting opponents to 40 percent shooting at The Q, as well as a measly 91.3 points.
10. The Cavs have won 24 of 25 when scoring at least 100, and are 38-5 overall when that happens.
