LDN - Sports

Preview: Cavaliers at Pacers

[December 08, 2017] LeBron James continues to find different ways to lead his team to victories, and the Cleveland Cavaliers don't seem like they're going to lose anytime soon. James will try to guide the Cavaliers to a franchise-record 14th consecutive win when they visit the Central Division rival Indiana Pacers on Friday.

James is putting up big numbers throughout the streak but did his finest work from beyond the arc on Wednesday, when he buried a season-high five 3-pointers on eight attempts in a 101-95 win over the Sacramento Kings. "I try to get better each and every year, and shooting the ball is what this league has kind of turned into, so for me to continue to improve, that's what I wanted to do," James told reporters in reference to his .587 shooting percentage, including 43 percent from 3-point range. "I put a lot of work into my offseason training and I just try to implement it into the season once it gets here." The Pacers opened a six-game homestand with a 98-96 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday and are winners of two straight and eight of their last 11. "They're a great team," Indiana guard Victor Oladipo told reporters of Cleveland. "They're playing very, very, very well right now, and they've got a lot of great players. We're going to have to be ready to play."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Ohio (Cleveland), FS Indiana

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (18-7): James was part of two different 13-game winning streaks with Cleveland in 2009 and 2010 and came within an assist of a triple-double in leading the team to another 13-game run on Wednesday. James could be close to getting more help with both Tristan Thompson (calf) and Isaiah Thomas (hip) participating in four-on-four drills at practice. "It went well, I felt good out there," Thompson, who is closer to a return than Thomas, told reporters. "I was happy to play some contact, so, I was excited. I want to play pick-up again. Felt like summertime."

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ABOUT THE PACERS (14-11): Indiana was in a 16-point hole in the fourth quarter to the NBA-worst Bulls before mounting a comeback led by Oladipo, who hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute and finished with 27 points. "I feel like we just made the right play down the stretch," Oladipo told reporters. "In the fourth quarter, whatever the play is, we make the right play as a team. We do a great job of that, and we did a great job of that (Wednesday) down the stretch." The right play often means getting the ball to Oladipo, who is averaging a team-high 23.3 points on 48.3 percent shooting.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Cleveland PF Kevin Love is enjoying a streak of four straight double-doubles.

2. Pacers SG Bojan Bogdanovic is 6-of-11 from 3-point range over the last two games.

3. Indiana crushed the Cavaliers at Cleveland 124-107 on Nov. 1 despite James' 33 points and 11 assists.

PREDICTION: Cavaliers 108, Pacers 107

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