The Cleveland Cavaliers hope to extend their season-high
winning streak to 10 games when they continue a seven-game homestand Thursday
versus the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Cavaliers have the second-best home record in the NBA at 20-3 (Lakers,
24-3), and improved to 2-0 on the residency following Tuesday's 105-89 victory
over the Memphis Grizzlies thanks to another strong performance from superstar
LeBron James, who posted 22 points, a career-high tying 15 assists and six
rebounds.
"Tonight was a really good defensive performance," James said after
Cleveland's ninth victory in a row. "We came out with the mindset to get stops
consistently, and to do it the whole game was good."
Shaquille O'Neal had 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Daniel Gibson and
Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 16 and 14 points, respectively, for the Central
Division-leading Cavaliers, who have won seven in a row at home and are 18-1
in their last 19 contests at the 'Q'. Cleveland has averaged 104.1 points on
.513 shooting over that lengthy stretch.
The Cavs will also play host to the Knicks, Nets, Magic and Nuggets, and
haven't lost at home since January 3 versus Charlotte. Injured Cleveland guard
Delonte West is questionable for Thursday's game with a broken finger.
Miami is coming off a tough loss against the Boston Celtics last night in
Beantown, as Dwyane Wade registered 30 points and 13 assists in a 107-102
setback. Rafer Alston and Udonis Haslem each scored 15 points in defeat,
Miami's third straight and fifth in six tries.
"We went through a stretch, where we didn't make enough shots at one point,"
Wade said. "At one point we had about four shots and we missed them, and they
kept capitalizing. We fell back, and gave them too much ground, in that four
minute period."
The Heat, who fell below .500 for the first time this season, kicked off a
three-game trek in losing fashion and will also visit the Bulls on the road
swing. They are 11-13 away from south Florida this season.
Cleveland has won the first two matchups of the 2009-10 season against the
Heat, and is unbeaten in the previous four meetings. Miami has dropped four in
a row and seven of eight trips to Quicken Loans Arena.
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