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With about half the NBA season completed, there is a game between two quality teams. These teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Cavaliers entered the season as the favorites to win the Eastern Conference and will look for a huge win against a fellow playoff team. However, the Cavaliers have underachieved this season and are currently third in the Eastern Conference standings. Their opponents in this contest, the Oklahoma City Thunder, were supposed to compete with the Warriors in the Western Conference. However, the Thunder have also been underachieving this season and are currently fifth in the Western Conference standings. Since it is likely that these teams will be in the playoffs, expect this game to be extremely competitive.
Cleveland’s success is due to its best player LeBron James. This season, James is averaging 27.0 points per game on an absurd shooting percentage of 55.4% from the floor. However, James has contributed in a variety of ways besides scoring. James is also averaging eight rebounds per game along with over eight assists per game. Although he is in his 15th NBA season, James has shown no signs of slowing down. James is a contender to win the MVP award this season and now has a chance to cement his case in a nationally televised game. Expect James to have a huge game if the Cavaliers plan on winning this contest.
Oklahoma City’s success is due to its star point guard Russell Westbrook. Last season, Westbrook became the first player to average a triple-double in an NBA season since Oscar Robertson in 1962. This season, Westbrook has proven that last season was not a fluke as he is almost averaging a triple-double for the second straight season. This season, Westbrook is averaging 24.8 points per game along with over nine rebounds and assists per game. Despite the additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony this offseason, Westbrook is the heart and soul of this Thunder team. Expect him to have a huge game if the Thunder plan on winning this difficult road game.
As for my prediction, I have to side with the Cavaliers. Despite Cleveland’s recent struggles, this team has still won 16 out of its 21 home games this season which suggests that this team usually performs extremely well at home. On the other side of the equation, the Thunder are 9-13 on the road which suggests that this team plays extremely poorly on the road. Therefore, I expect Cleveland to sneak out a difficult victory at home on Saturday.
Cavaliers vs. Thunder: Game Time, TV Channel & Viewing Details
Event: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Date: Saturday, January 20, 2018
Start Time: 3:30 P.M. EST
Location: Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH
Broadcast: ABC
How to Watch Cavaliers vs. Thunder: Game Time, TV Channel & Viewing Details On Your Tablet Or Mobile Device
You can live stream the game on the ABC app.
You can download the ABC app on Google Play, Amazon, iTunes, and the Windows Store. The ABC app is also available on the following devices: Apple TV, Roku, Android TV and Fire TV.
