Live Thread: Cavs @ Pacers

2015-02-06 Off By David Wood

roy-hibbert-eating

The Cavs are in Naptown tonight to face a slightly less depleted Pacers team. Paul George is still out, but point guard George Hill recently returned and brought a little stability to the team. The Pacers have pulled out wins in three of their last five games and have won their last eight home games. While Indiana sports a record of 18 wins and 32 losses, they are still playing properly. They hold teams to a top ten ranking 97.2 points on 44% shooting; they also allow just 20.8 heaves from beyond the arc, which is sixth best in the league.

The Wine & Gold, over the past ten games, have been limiting teams to 92.1 points on 40.1% shooting. This may be a battle of the defenses.

Pacers center Roy Hibbert has been outstanding this year safeguarding the rim. He’s treating it like a hot new hipster club and just 41.8% of NBA players have the proper beard to ironic tattoo ratio to enter it. He’s saving the Pacers 2.04 points a game. Thankfully, the Cavs are averaging 101.7 points this season, and that’s without weighting the recent win streak games. The Pacers average 95.4 a game. Roy’s not going to alter the outcome too much considering the Pacers can’t capitalize on the points he prevents.

The Cavs should get their 13th win easily tonight. I’m predicting it will end 102-90.

The Pacers will be without front court players Lavoy Allen and Ian Mahinmi, so expect the Cavs to get Kevin Love the ball early and often to force the Pacers into big man foul trouble.

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