Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Where to watch: YES, Bally Sports Ohio, NBA TV
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Nets -7.5
FanDuel: Nets -7.5
WynnBet: Nets -8
Season record
Nets: 12-5
Cavaliers: 9-8
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Nets - Cavaliers preview and analysis
Recent form
Nets: won five of six; won 115-113 vs. Magic on Friday
Cavaliers: lost three straight; lost 104-89 vs. Warriors on Thursday
The Brooklyn Nets will try to win their fourth straight game on the road when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Brooklyn has quieted the storm a tad after starting 2-3. The Nets have won 10 of 12 and have done so behind the MVP mastery of Kevin Durant. In his last 10 games, Durant has averaged 29.2 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting and 45.7 percent from 3-point range.
Durant got the night off in Brooklyn’s last game on Friday, a 2-point victory over the Orlando Magic at home. James Harden had 36 points on a night where he went 19 of 20 from the free-throw line to lead Brooklyn, and Patty Mills had 22 points on 9 of 13 shooting for the Nets’ fifth win in six games.
"I probably had to do a little bit more as far as being aggressive, and I had a lot of good looks as far as layups, floaters," Harden said after shooting 7 of 25 from the field. "They just didn't go in."
The Nets and Cavaliers are meeting for the second time in less than a week. Brooklyn won that matchup 109-99 last Wednesday while playing the second game of a back-to-back after losing to the Golden State Warriors at home.
The Cavaliers, who started the season 9-5, have lost three straight and are coming off a 15-point loss to the Golden State Warriors at home. Cleveland has been rocked with injuries, between first-round pick rookie Evan Mobley going down for a few weeks with an elbow injury and Collin Sexton being out for the rest of the season. Offense has been the consistent problem scoring under 100 points in six straight games.
Cleveland got three days to rest to assess how they got lit up by Steph Curry and his 40 points. Darius Garland scored 25 to go with five assists, and Dean Wade had 17 points on 7 of 13 to go with nine rebounds and five assists.
"Stephen Curry is a hell of a basketball player," Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "The shots he was making weren't easy, but obviously, he's got the skill-set to make them and Draymond knows how to get him open. They're the best team in the league right now for a reason."
The problem with Cleveland has been depth, and it’s been tested recently, especially in the frontcourt with Mobley out. Jarrett Allen is left on an island not having someone to anchor the interior with him with the rookie on the sidelines.
Brooklyn’s ability to spread the floor and play a five-out game is going to be a factor in this matchup on defense, much like that last game. It’s a prime opportunity for Durant to return to the lineup and take advantage of those matchups.
Prediction
The Nets have won six of the last eight meetings in Cleveland, and that trend should continue in the right direction for Brooklyn. The Cavs are just too banged up and still in that infancy stage to expect a shocking win over the Nets. They haven’t played their best basketball yet, but I like Brooklyn tonight to take care of business. Nets by 12
Betting trends
The over has cashed in the last four meetings.
The Nets are 6-2 ATS in the last eight matchups in Cleveland.
The under is 7-0 in the last seven Cleveland home games.
The Cavaliers are 8-2 ATS this season off an under.
Projected starting lineup
Nets:
PG: James Harden
SG: Patty Mills
SF: DeAndre’ Bembry
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Blake Griffin
Cavaliers:
PG: Ricky Rubio
SG: Darius Garland
SF: Isaac Okoro
PF: Dean Wade
C: Jarrett Allen
Key injuries
Nets: Bruce Brown (hamstring, out), Joe Harris (ankle, out), Nic Claxton (non-COVID, out), Kyrie Irving (personal, out)
Cavaliers: Evan Mobley (elbow), Collin Sexton (knee, out), Lamar Stevens (ankle, out), Lauri Markkanen (COVID, probable)
Statistical leaders
Nets:
Points: Kevin Durant -- 28.6
Rebounds: Kevin Durant -- 7.9
Assists: James Harden -- 8.8
Cavaliers:
Points: Darius Garland -- 17.8
Rebounds: Jarrett Allen -- 10.9
Assists: Darius Garland -- 6.5
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