KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs vs Rockets

The Wine & Gold are now down to the final seven games of the regular season – three more on the road and four more at home, beginning with Sunday evening’s showdown against the cellar-dwelling Rockets at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. 

The Cavaliers are coming off what might be their most thrilling victory of the year on Thursday night – with Isaac Okoro capping a furious late rally, canning a corner three-pointer with 0.7 seconds to play to give Cleveland the 116-114 win. Led by big performances from Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert the Cavs closed the contest on a 12-2 run, zeroing in on the coveted 4^thseed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture with the win. Cleveland comes into today’s play five full games ahead of New York for homecourt advantage in the First Round. 

The Rockets come into today’s game playing out the string on the season, having dropped four straight and heading for the Western Conference’s worst record for the third straight season after winning the Southwest Division in 2019-20. After going toe-to-toe with the Grizzlies on Wednesday night, Memphis blasted the Rockets by 37 points in the Friday rematch, surrendering 150 points for the second time this season – with the Grizzlies shooting 61 percent from the floor, drilling 25 triples.

The Wine & Gold have won four of the last five in the series, including the early meeting this year by 18 points in Houston.

With as much young talent as the Rockets have on their roster, it seems like they’ll eventually turn things around. One of those bright young stars is Jalen Green, the player picked No. 2 overall one season ago. 

The Rockets’ leading scorer at 21.9ppg, Green has been excellent at times for Houston this year, with nine games of at least 30 points and four games topping the 40-point mark. 

The native Californian finished with 21 points in his only meeting against Cleveland last year, but the Cavs held him in check in late January this year – finishing with six points on 2-of-9 shooting. 

On Sunday, he’ll lock horns with Cleveland’s leading scorer, trying to keep Donovan Mitchell from his third straight 30-point game. 

The four-time All-Star was electric again in both games in Brooklyn – netting 31 points in each for his 26^th and 27^th games of 30-plus this season. Mitchell was out for the earlier meeting with Houston this year, but he’s had plenty of big nights during his Western Conference days – going for 30 and 37 points, respectively, in his previous two games against the Rockets.

Another bright young player for the Rockets is their center, Alperen Sengun. 

Selected with the 16^th overall pick last year, the big man from Turkey has taken a nice leap in his sophomore season – averaging 14.7ppg, 8.7rpg and 3.8apg this year. Sengun has posted 22 double-doubles this season, with a pair of triple-doubles in the mix. 

He’s been solid in three career meetings against Cleveland, averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 boards per, doubling-up in his debut last year. 

Jarrett Allen is the Cavaliers leader in double-doubles with 31 on the season – including twice in his last two games after returning from a four-game absence with an eye injury. Allen averaged an even 12.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in the two wins against his former squad, shooting an even 50 percent from the floor. 

Allen finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the late January win in Houston.