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The Cleveland Cavaliers continue their early-season road trip with a matchup against the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center on Saturday. The Cavaliers had their three-game winning streak snapped on Friday, while the Suns are still struggling, having won just once in four games.
Cleveland have been playing well this campaign, beating three playoff teams from last season. The Cavaliers have beaten the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers. They lost to the LA Lakers on Friday, but they have a chance to add the Suns to that tally on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns have lost three of their first four games. Two of those losses were blowouts, against the Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers. They lost to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at the buzzer, with Harrison Barnes hitting the game-winner.
Match Details
Fixture: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Phoenix Suns | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time: Saturday, October 30th; 10:00 PM ET (Sunday, October 30th, 7:30 AM IST).
Venue: Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ.
Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a deep roster full of young players and veterans. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are two of the best guards in the NBA, while Evan Mobley is a top pick from this year's draft.
They also have Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen, as well as veterans Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love. The Cavaliers endured losses against the Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Hornets to open their 2021-22 campaign. However, they bounced back with wins over the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks and LA Clippers.
On Friday, the Cavaliers lost to the LA Lakers 113-101 on Friday. They had a nine-point lead late in the third quarter, but they allowed the Lakers to come back. In the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers coudn't buy a basket as the Lakers pulled away with the win.
Collin Sexton has been their leading scorer this season, averaging 20.4 points per game. However, it should be noted that six more Cavaliers players are averaging in double digits this season, making the team a difficult one to beat.
Key Player - Lauri Markkanen
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a deep roster this season. Any of their starters can explode on any given night. Head coach JB Bickerstaff believes Lauri Markkanen is due a big game because of his new position at small forward.
"It’s different for him. I think it has impacted his shot a little bit because he’s doing some different things defensively. But the effort that he’s putting in, if he continues to do that his shots are gonna fall," Bickerstaff said.
"He’s the reason why it works. His willingness to do that and sacrifice some comfort. He’s the reason why we’ve been able to get away with it so far and why it’s been able to work,” Bickerstaf continued
Markkanen was acquired by the Cavaliers in the offseason from the Chicago Bulls. Even though he is struggling at the start of the season due to playing in a new position, the trust his coach has given him means he could explode on any given night.
In the loss to the Lakers, Markkanen had 17 points, three rebounds and one assist.
Cleveland Cavaliers Predicted Lineup
G - Darius Garland; G - Collin Sexton; F - Lauri Markkanen; F - Evan Mobley; C - Jarrett Allen.
Phoenix Suns Preview
The Phoenix Suns have struggled at the start of the season. They have a 1-3 record entering the Cleveland Cavaliers game on Saturday. The Suns already have two blowout losses, while their most recent defeat came at the buzzer.
In their 110-107 defeat to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, the Suns were trailed significantly in the fourth quarter. But they fought their way back to tie the game with 1.4 seconds left. However, Harrison Barnes hit a buzzer-beating shot to hand the Suns their third loss of the season.
Key Player - Chris Paul
In their 110-107 loss to the Sacramento Kings, Chris Paul struggled from the field, registering just six points, six rebounds and eight assists. With the Phoenix Suns down by 13 points in the fourth quarter, Paul was replaced by Landry Shamet and Devin Booker took over point guard duties.
The Suns managed to tie the game, but lost at the buzzer. However, head coach Monty Williams believes there would be such nights where Paul would sit the fourth quarter. Williams also noted that they would like to give their 36-year-old point guard more rest.
"I wanted to give Chris a break. I did that to him a lot last year, and he got worn down. I didn’t think it was that bad of a look,” Williams said.
Nevertheless, if the Phoenix Suns want to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, Paul has to play better. The new foul rule might have an effect on him, but his high basketball IQ should help him adjust well and deliver.
Phoenix Suns Predicted Lineup
G - Chris Paul; G - Devin Booker; F - Mikal Bridges; F - Jae Crowder; C - DeAndre Ayton.
Cavaliers vs Suns Match Prediction
The Cleveland Cavaliers vs Phoenix Suns matchup is an intriguing one. The Cavaliers are certainly equipped to shock the Suns, while Phoenix are the better rested of the two teams. That's because the Cavaliers will play the Suns on the second night of a back-to-back.
Where to watch Cavaliers vs Suns?
The Cavaliers vs Suns game is available live on the NBA League Pass. Local fans can also watch the game at Bally Sports Ohio in Cleveland and Bally Sports Arizon in Phoenix.
Guess the Lakers players!
