With more than half of the NBA season completed, there is a game between two elite teams. These teams are the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets. The Cavaliers entered the season with the greatest chance to dethrone the Golden State Warriors as the franchise hopes to win its second championship in three seasons. However, the Cavaliers have underachieved this season and are currently third in the Eastern Conference standings. Their opponents in this contest, the Houston Rockets, entered the season looking like the only team in the Western Conference that had a legitimate chance of defeating the Warriors in a seven game playoff series. So far this season, the Rockets have looked as good as advertised by winning 37 of its first 50 games. Expect this contest to be extremely competitive as both teams will hope to prove just how elite they truly are.
Cleveland’s success is due to its best player LeBron James. This season, James is averaging 26.6 points per game on an absurd shooting percentage of 54.5% from the floor. However, James has contributed in a variety of ways besides scoring. James is also averaging about eight rebounds along with over eight assists per game. Although he is in his 15th NBA season, James has showed 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.
Houston’s success is due to its elite duo which consists of James Harden and Chris Paul. Earlier this season, Harden looked like a lock to win the MVP award. Harden was averaging 31.7 points and nine assists per game before suffering a hamstring injury which caused him to miss seven games. However, Harden did return to action and has been playing phenomenally since his return. Assisting Harden is future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul. In his first season with the Rockets, Paul has been phenomenal and is averaging 19.1 points and 8.4 assists per game. If the Rockets plan on winning this game, both Harden and Paul will need to have big games.
As for my prediction, I have to side with the Rockets. Although the Cavaliers are at home for this contest, they have seriously struggled as of late. Meanwhile, the Rockets have looked amazing in recent weeks and are a lot better than the Cavaliers defensively. I expect Houston’s offense to have no problems dismantling Cleveland’s defense as Harden and Paul carry the Rockets to a road victory.
Cavaliers vs. Rockets: Game Time, TV Channel & Viewing Details
Event: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Houston Rockets
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2018
Start Time: 8:30 P.M. EST
Location: Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH
Broadcast: ABC
How to Watch Cavaliers vs. Rockets: 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.