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The Cleveland Cavaliers will host the New Orleans Pelicans at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in a 2020-21 NBA game on Sunday.
It will be the second meeting between the teams this season. The New Orleans Pelicans cruised to a 116-82 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first clash of the campaign. The game witnessed Brandon Ingram dropping a team-high 28 points, while 2021 All-Star Zion Williamson registered a 23-point outing.
Both sides are out of the playoff picture at the moment, as they are below .500 on the season.
The New Orleans Pelicans, who are 11th in the West, will enter this contest with a 23-29 record, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are 12th in the East after a 19-33 start to their campaign.
Match Details
Fixture: New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction - NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Sunday, April 11th, 2021; 7:00 PM ET (Monday; 4:30 AM IST).
Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH.
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans have won five of their last ten games. They still have a decent chance of making the play-in tournament but need to add a few more wins to their kitty.
The Pelicans are coming off a resounding victory over the 76ers. Zion Williamson and co. dominated the paint, outscoring their counterparts by 34 points underneath the rim.
Williamson, in particular, shone brightly as he tallied a near triple-double outing, with 37 points to go along with 15 boards and eight rebounds. Coach Stan Van Gundy will hope Williamson can continue the team's winning run against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In their injury report, the New Orleans Pelicans have ruled out Lonzo Ball (hip) for this game. The Pelicans are already playing without Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who are both out for an extended period.
Key Player - Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been on a tear, delivering 30+ points in three of his past five appearances on the NBA hardwood.
After struggling against the Nets, he bounced back with a monster performance against the 76ers, going 15 of 28 from the floor in a terrific 53.6% shooting display.
This season, Williamson has taken his game to the next level. He continues to raise his ceiling and is looking like an MVP candidate for the next decade.
In 47 games for the New Orleans Pelicans this campaign, he is averaging 26.5 points on a super-efficient 61% shooting from the floor and a respectable 36% shooting accuracy from the three-point line. Besides his scoring, Williamson has also added 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Naji Marshall l Shooting Guard - Eric Bledsoe l Small Forward - Brandon Ingram l Power Forward - Zion Williamson l Center - Steven Adams.
Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had their struggles, dropping seven of their last ten games.
After a modest two-game winning streak, the Cavs lost to their Eastern Conference rivals, the Toronto Raptors, on Saturday. JB Bickerstaff's side witnessed six players scoring in double digits, but the effort was in vain, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost for the 33rd time this season.
On a brighter note, Kevin Love played well, as he tallied 18 points and three boards in just 21 minutes from the floor.
Meanwhile, Collin Sexton registered a team-high 29 points, while Darius Garland finished off the proceedings with 19 points and eight rebounds. The Cavs will look to the trio to hold the fort down when the Pelicans visit them on Sunday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without Jarrett Allen (concussion) and Larry Nance Jr. (illness) for this matchup, though.
Key Player - Collin Sexton
Collin Sexton has proven to be the best player for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. He has quietly launched an impressive streak of seven 20+ point outings.
Sexton is leading his side in the scoring department, averaging 24.1 points on 48% shooting from the floor. He has also been a threat from the three-point line, clocking a 35.7% shooting accuracy.
The Young Bull has also dished out 4.2 assists and collected 2.8 rebounds per game in 45 appearances this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Collin Sexton | Shooting Guard - Darius Garland | Small Forward - Isaac Okoro | Power Forward - Dean Wade | Center - Kevin Love.
Pelicans vs Cavaliers Match Prediction
The New Orleans Pelicans will roll into the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as the favorites.
That's because star player Zion Williamson is firing on all cylinders. Considering his imperious form, another monster outing from Williamson could be on the cards on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers will look to Collin Sexton to guide them to victory in this fixture. Williamson's presence on the floor could act as a catalyst for Sexton to produce his own big performance.
The player who outduels their counterpart in this game could help bring the 'W' for their team.
Where to watch New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers game?
The game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be telecast on Bally Sports Ohio (Cavaliers) and Bally Sports New Orleans. Fans can also live-stream the game with an NBA League Pass.
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