The Cavaliers will play their second game in as many nights when they conclude their four-game road trip tonight against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. (ET).
Cleveland (20-9) aims to build upon momentum from last night’s thrilling 101-97 victory against the Suns in Phoenix.
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Kyrie Irving drilled a deep dagger from 26 feet with 21 seconds to play – bailing out a broken play and helping the Wine and Gold snap a two-game losing streak. On the night, Irving led the Cavaliers with 22 points, going 7-for-16 from the floor and a perfect 6-of-6 from the stripe.
All 11 of J.R. Smith’s shot attempts last night were from beyond the arc, hitting five to finish with 17 points, three boards and a steal. Kevin Love, who injured his thumb midway through the third quarter but returned to action early in the fourth, followed up with 16 points, seven boards and four assists.
LeBron James led both squads with seven assists, but had a quiet night offensively – netting 14 points on 4-for-10 shooting, adding a pair of steals and a blocked shot.
With Irving likely to sit out the second leg of a back-to-back as part of his recovery process from knee surgery, the Wine and Gold will need another solid effort from everyone tonight as they complete a five-game in seven day stretch.
Denver (12-19) will also be shorthanded as leading scorer Danilo Gallinari (left ankle sprain) and rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay (deltoid sprain) are listed as out.
The Nuggets enter Tuesday’s contest losers of five of their last six after falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 122-112, in their most recent game on Sunday.
TV: FOX Sports Ohio
Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 La Mega
Programming Note: On Tuesday, FOX Sports Ohio is airing the Blue Jackets – Stars game (7:00 p.m.) and the Cavs – Nuggets game (9:00 p.m.). To view TV listings, CLICK HERE.
For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike and @chones22 on Twitter.
Status Update: (Cavs) -Kyrie Irving, (Rest and Recovery, Out)
Status Update: (Nuggets) – Danilo Gallinari, (Left Ankle Sprain, Out), Emmanuel Mudiay, (Deltoid Sprain, Out), Wilson Chandler, (Right Hip Arthroscopic Surgery, Out)
*Subject to change.
The two teams split last season’s series with each team garnering a victory on the other teams’ home floor.
The Wine and Gold were victorious in their last visit to the Pepsi Center on November 7th of last season, 110-101. Cleveland got off to a fast start, outscoring the Nuggets 38-20 in the first quarter and leading the rest of the way.
The Cavaliers had 10 assists on 13 field goals in the opening period and finished the game with a season-high 25 assists on 40 made field goals.
LeBron James had his 6th straight 20-point game with a team-high 22 points, nine rebounds, five assists and a season-high two blocks in 41 minutes of action. Kevin Love recorded his fifth double-double of the season by scoring 20 points on 7-13 (.538) shooting, while grabbing a game-high tying 11 rebounds in 38 minutes.
After wrapping up their road trip tonight, the Cavaliers return to Cleveland on Saturday night as they welcome the Orlando Magic to The Q for the final time this season. On Wednesday, it’s a home date with the Raptors. The Cavs get right back on the road after their two-game stopover — hitting six cities in 12 days, wrapping up with all three Texas teams, including a back-to-back against the Spurs and Rockets. GET TICKETS | VIEW FULL SCHEDULE
