Regular Season Game #63: Cleveland Cavaliers (49-13) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (15-48)
Game Date: Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

Game Time: 10:30 P.M. ET

Location: STAPLES Center

TV: FOX Sports Ohio HD

Radio: WTAM 1100

Probable Starters: http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/probable_starters.html

Tuesday's Fast Facts:

• The Cavaliers have won the last five matchups with the Clippers, including the last two contests at the Staples Center.
• At 49-13 (.790, 62 games played), the Cleveland possesses the Eastern Conference's best record and lead the Central Division race by 17.5 games, The Cavaliers are an Eastern Conference-best 19-4 (.826) record against the West this season, marking the first time the franchise has ever won 19 of the first 23 games against the Western Conference. Against the West this year, Cleveland is outscoring their opponents 101.0 to 92.2, while shooting .474 from the field and holding their opponents to .441 shooting. The team has defeated 14 of 15 Western teams this year, including sweeping the season series from five teams (Denver, Utah, Oklahoma City, Golden State, Memphis).
• The team's next three games are all on the road against Western Conference opponents (L.A. Clippers, Phoenix, Sacramento), where the team is 9-3 (.750) against the West away from The Q. At 21-12 (.636), Cleveland possess the 4th best road record in the NBA (L.A.
  Lakers, Boston, Orlando). On each of the team's three four-game road trips this season, the Cavs have gone 3-1 (.750). The team is now one road win from tying the franchise record of 22 in a season, set by the 1991-92 Cavaliers. With the win versus Miami on March 2nd, the team joined the 1995-96 (21 road wins) and 1991-92 (22) Cavaliers as the only three teams in franchise history to win at least 21 road games.
• The Cavs are an NBA-best 13-2 (.867) on the second night of back-to-backs, with 10 (8-2, .800) of those games coming on the road. On games with no days of rest, the team averages 101.4 points per game on .466 shooting while holding opponents to 90.9 points per game on .430 shooting. Only four teams since the 1991-92 season have had as good of a record on a season: 2006-07 Mavericks (15-1), 1995-96 Bulls (21-2), Lakers (20-2) and the 1996-97 Bulls (19-3).
• Cleveland is one of the best teams in the NBA at opening and closing games. The Cavs are 36-6 (.857), which ranks 3rd (Orlando, Los
  Angeles) when leading after the first quarter and hold the best record at 42-2 (.955) when leading into the fourth quarter. (STATS Inc.)
• Cleveland shot .556 (10-18) from three-point range and have shot over .500 from behind the arc 16 times this season (14-2), including each of their last four games and five of their last 10 games. Over the last four games, Cleveland is shooting .561 (37-66) from three-point range.
• In his last five games, Mo Williams is averaging 24.0 points on .562 shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He is shooting .731 (19-26) from three-point range in that span. The Cavaliers are 19-5 (.792) when Williams scores more than 20 points in a game, 4-0 when he scores 30 points in a game and 27-4 (.871) when he shoots over .500. Williams has two games of 30+ points, 7+ rebounds and 7+ assists, which ties him with (Paul, S. Jackson) for 3rd in the NBA this season, trailing only teammate James (6) and Dwyane Wade (5). (STATS Inc.)
• On Saturday, LeBron James recorded the 3,000th assist of his career becoming the second youngest player (24 years, 67 days) in NBA history to reach 3,000 assists (Isiah Thomas - 23 years, 322 days). (Elias)
• For the 2008-09 NBA season, the Cavaliers rank in the Top 5 in the following defensive and offensive statistical categories:
  • The Cavs are winning games by a 9.4 point differential, which ranks 1st, and have won 34 games by at least 10 points.
  • The team ranks 1st in overall opponent points allowed per game, the only team to allow less than 91.0 points, at 90.5 (next best is Boston at 92.5), ranks 2nd in defensive field goal percentage, allowing opponents to only shoot .429 (next best is Boston at .428) and ranks 1st in defensive three-point field goal percentage at only .334 for the season (next best is Chicago at .336).
  • The last team to lead the NBA in all three defensive categories was the 1992-93 Knicks, 16 years ago, (defensive field goal
    percentage - 42.6%, defensive three-point field goal percentage - 30.5% and opponent points per game allowed - 95.4).
• With the Cavaliers defending the three-point shot the best in the league, the team now ranks 1st overall at .393 in the NBA from behind the arc as well. Three Cavaliers rank in the Top 40 led by Mo Williams ranks 9th at .437 and is joined by teammates Delonte West at tied for 25th best (.417), Wally Szczerbiak at 40th best (.401). On Saturday against Miami, Delonte West scored 19 points and added three rebounds and six assists including scoring 11 points on 4-4 shooting, including 2-2 from three-point range in the third quarter.

we win this game by 15+, but i hope the baron has a good game cause i got him on my fantasy team.

At least we should get 1 win in the staples center this year

the good thing is that camby is out cuz of an injury and i think baron davis might be sitting

Mar 9, 2009 -- 4:24PM, Marcus wrote:

Its a guranteed win anyway but if camby and baron are out its a blowout

No win is guaranteed in this league.  Remember how tough the Wizards, an otherwise mediocre team, play us...  and don't forget the Heat, that we should EASILY have handled, only ended up losing by 10 when we were playing at home.