To cap off an extremely busy day-after-Christmas slate of sports today, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers go head to head. Two of the top players in this matchup are out for tonight, so for the injury report and everything else you need to know -- including the live stream link, a preview and prediction -- is all below.
Game Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
TV Channel: Sportsnet One, KGWHD, FSOhio
Live Stream: NBA League Pass (single-game purchase available for $6.99)
Betting Line: -7.5 CLE; 195.5 O/U
Cavs Injury Report:
- Kyrie Irving - Out for Rest
Blazers Injury Report:
- Damian Lillard - Out With Plantar Fasciitis
You read that right. Both star point guards are out for this one.
Irving is sitting the second of a back-to-back -- after falling to the Golden State Warriors yesterday afternoon -- as part of his return process from last postseason's knee injury.
Lillard, on the other hand, is feeling the affects of losing LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum, as he's had to carry this team almost all on his own. The young point has developed plantar fasciitis, and needs to rest it. Odds are, this will be a day-to-day issue for him to deal with for much of the rest of the season. In this one, he's been told to rest it.
What we're left with is quite a lopsided matchup. The Cavs are used to playing without Kyrie and have done well during that time. Meanwhile, the Blazers have struggled mightily even with their leader who's been there for most of the season.
Basically, the Cavs -- LeBron James, Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith and company -- will be taking on ... Well ... Err ... C.J. McCollum?
McCollum is enjoying a breakout season, but he's the only reliable scorer outside of Lillard on the team. If Portland is to have any shot in this one, players like Meyers Leonard, Allan Crabbe, Mason Plumlee and veteran Gerald Henderson will all have to step up and play their best basketball of the season.
Prediction: Cavaliers 104, Blazers 90
