Cleveland may have secured their first winning season without LeBron James on the roster for the first time since 1998, but all that means nothing to this team without one more win.
If the Cavs fail to reach the postseason, this year will still go down as a successful year as the franchise has finally hit its turning point of becoming a fringe contender in a competitive Eastern Conference.
Cavs at Nets Odds
One thing the Cavaliers can’t get away from this season is being an underdog. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to be labeled as an “underdog” however, heading into this play-in game, there isn’t a word more fitting to describe them against the Nets. Brooklyn is the favorite and rightfully so with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the helm… not to mention Jarrett Allen is ruled out of the play-in which only hurts Cleveland.
It doesn’t take a basketball aficionado to know how good Durant and Irving have been this season. But to add some numbers to the madness, it helps put this matchup into perspective. Durant has averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in 55 games this season. Meanwhile, Irving has appeared in only 29 games this season due to the vaccine mandate holding him out for a majority of the season, but still managed to average 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in those contests.
Having one player average at least 20 PPG is essential in today’s game to just have a fighting chance, but having two stars average 25+ PPG is simply the tip of the iceberg of a “superteam”-esque roster. The Nets’ dynamic duo should have no issue having their way against Cleveland, let alone any team in the East, and their 3-1 regular-season record against the Cavs this year validates that.
As weird as it is to see the Nets in the play-in to earn a playoff spot, it’s a whole lot weirder to think about them losing this game. Brooklyn should cruise their way to victory and set up a first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics for the second consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Cleveland would have a second shot at clinching a playoff berth should they lose and with that chance coming against the winner of the Hawks and Hornets matchup on Friday night.
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