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Cavaliers-Nets Preview

Jan 1, 2010 - 7:18 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Cleveland (26-8) at New Jersey (3-29), 1:00 p.m. EDT

The Cleveland Cavaliers' latest victory came with a bit of controversy. There's little doubt, however, who has been the better team in their recent matchups with the New Jersey Nets.

The Cavaliers will try to extend a season-high six-game win streak with a sixth straight victory over the host Nets on Saturday.

Cleveland (26-8) completed a home-and-home sweep of Atlanta with a 106-101 win Wednesday night. The Hawks filed a protest with the NBA because of a shot-clock malfunction that occurred while they held a one-point lead late in the final quarter.

Despite benefiting from the mishap, the Cavaliers needed Anderson Varejao's 3-pointer with 17.2 seconds left - just before the shot clock expired - and Jamario Moon's two free throws with two seconds remaining to seal the win.

"I saw that Mo (Williams) got kind of tied up and I just tried to get open," Varejao said. "I just shot it."

LeBron James led the way on his 25th birthday with a season-high 48 points and 10 rebounds.

"It's amazing," coach Mike Brown said. "You know how they say a young person has an old soul? Well, he's got an old game. It's athletic, powerful and energetic. The whole nine yards. It feels like he's been doing it forever."

James has also excelled in his recent trips to New Jersey, averaging 34.3 points in the past six games there. He scored 30 in both of his games at the Izod Center last season.

Cleveland beat New Jersey (3-29) by an average of 16.0 points in those wins, and posted a margin of victory of 14.8 points a game in the past five overall meetings.

Cleveland, however, will face a Nets team that finally has all of its usual starters healthy. The full lineup made a difference Wednesday night as New Jersey snapped a 10-game slide with a 104-95 home win over New York.

The Nets shot a season-best 51.2 percent and had six players score in double figures, led by Yi Jianlian with 22 points.

"This is something to build on," coach Kiki Vandeweghe said. "We realize this is just one game but we've played for a few games in a row."

Brook Lopez, who had 21 points and 14 rebounds, is the only Nets player to appear in every game this season. The latest to return was guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, who had 17 points Wednesday in his first game back from a sprained right ankle.

"I looked down at the bench at one point and there must have been seven or eight guys in sweats," Lopez said. "It was good to see."

The Nets had only nine players available in a 99-89 road loss to the Cavaliers on Dec. 15, and point guard Devin Harris was ejected late in the fourth quarter for a flagrant foul on Moon. New Jersey shot 39.0 percent and Lopez, who finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds, failed to make a basket in the second half.

The Cavaliers limited the Nets to an average of 85.8 points on 38.2 percent shooting in the past five matchups.

Cleveland made a season high-tying 58.2 percent from the field Dec. 15. Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas each shot 7 of 9 and scored 16 points, while James had a team-best 23.