Phoenix Suns at Cleveland Cavaliers Game Preview

The Suns will be in Cleveland to face the Cavs on Tuesday night. This would very likely be win number 47 for Phoenix, though they will actually have to win the game first. Cleveland has lost six in a row and has roughly half their roster on the injury report for this contest. The odds are certainly stacked against them.

The addition of Chris Paul next to Devin Booker has pushed Phoenix to greatness. They are sitting at 46-18, right with the Jazz for the best record in the league. They were certainly expected to do some winning, but this has been downright impressive. The deadline acquisition of Torrey Craig from Milwaukee has also served to improve their wing depth and perimeter defense. They have got talent all over the place. 

It’s been a tough year for these Cavs. Now at 21-43, they are a long way from when they opened the year 3-0, following a win over the Embiid-less 76ers. So many bumps have been hit on their journey, and it’s hard to call the year a success. Collin Sexton, who was a borderline All-Star for the first half of the season, is now getting smack-talked by teammates anonymously and by Cavs beat writers. What the heck is going on? 

SPREAD

The spread for Tuesday night’s game will favor the visiting Suns by 12.5 points.

Phoenix Looks to Keep It Rolling

Almost every bettor that is trying to get some action on this one will be taking Phoenix. The Suns' backcourt is very tough to stop, and on other nights, they have DeAndre Ayton in the middle to get things done. Mikal Bridges looks like one of the best defensive players in the league right now, while Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson have also been very serviceable.

The team is looking like one that nobody is going to want to mess with. Monty Williams has taken a seemingly broken franchise and turned them into a real title contender. They have beaten up on all the teams below them, and it’s been a big part of their come-up through the season.

Another win here, and they’re up to 47-18. Counting the bubble, they are 64-18 in their last 82 games.

Cavs Seeking a Win at Home

There are still a few home games on the Cavaliers' calendar this season. The game with Phoenix is one of them, and they hope to get it done for the loyal fans. At this juncture of the season, most fans probably want the team to just tank and lose every game. But they’d be best off with a few last hoorahs rather than enter the offseason with a 14-game skid.

The last team to lose 10+ in a row to end one season and make the playoffs the next were the TrailBlazers in 2012-13. Damian Lillard’s rookie campaign. They went 0-13 to end the season and rebounded to become a playoff team. Whether or not this Cavs team is capable of that, they probably don’t want to have to do that.

Okoro covering the combo of Paul/Booker will teach him a lot.