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The Los Angeles Lakers were bucked by the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, but hope to capture their first win in STAPLES Center since Jan. 31 with the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers in town.
The Cavaliers are on the second-half of a back-to-back, but they also rested Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Kevin Love — who just recently returned after taking time off following a knee procedure — when they faced the Clippers Saturday night. To be fair, it’s understandable that the Cavaliers would want their best players fresh for the big challenge that is the Lakers.
You need your best squad ready to roll out when you’re taking on the 20-49 Lakers of Los Angeles.
There’s no official word yet on whether the Cavaliers’ “Big Three” will actually play Sunday against the Lakers, but they did concede their game to the Clippers and are still in the midst of a very tight Eastern Conference playoff race for the No. 1 seed. The Cavaliers hold a narrow two-game lead over the Boston Celtics, and an easier game against the Lakers opposed to having to actually put forth some effort against the Clippers may have just been the easier target on the road to the playoffs.
For what it’s worth, the official Cavaliers.com game preview notes that they are “expected” to play. Kyle Korver will be sidelined, however.
Resting against a tougher opponent and then putting in light work against an ... easier ... outing would make some sense as head coach Tyronn Lue prepares his team for a run at three straight NBA Finals.
The Lakers are riding the momentum of a four-game losing streak as they secure the the worst record in the West, though there’s next to no chance they catch up to the 13-54 Brooklyn Nets. The Suns are only two games back, so the Lakers haven’t quite secure the No. 2 draft lottery position just yet.
Either way, enjoy your Sunday, and enjoy the game!
Time: 6:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet