1st Quarter Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, the Cavaliers look much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a quick 29-24 lead against the Pelicans.
If the Cavaliers keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 16-1 in no time. On the other hand, the Pelicans will have to make due with a 4-12 record unless they turn things around.
Who’s Playing
New Orleans Pelicans @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Current Records: New Orleans 4-11, Cleveland 15-1
How To Watch
- When: Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse — Cleveland, Ohio
- TV: FanDuel SN – Ohio
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $21.18
What to Know
The Cavaliers will be playing the full four quarters on Wednesday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They and the New Orleans Pelicans will face off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. The timing is sure in the Cavaliers’ favor as the team sits on eight straight wins at home while the Pelicans have been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road.
The Cavaliers are probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering the Celtics just ended the team’s 15-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell just short of Boston by a score of 120-117. The close contest was extra heartbreaking for Cleveland, who almost overcame a 21 point deficit.
The loss doesn’t tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Evan Mobley, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 11 rebounds. What’s more, he also racked up six offensive rebounds, the most he’s had since back in November of 2023. Donovan Mitchell was another key player, posting 35 points in addition to eight rebounds.
Even though they lost, the Cavaliers were working as a unit and finished the game with 30 assists. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they’ve now posted at least 25 assists in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, the oddsmakers predicted a rough matchup for the Pelicans on Tuesday and boy were they right. It’s going to take some time for them to recover from the 132-91 bruising that the Mavericks dished out on Tuesday. New Orleans was down 97-69 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.
Having lost for the first time this season, Cleveland fell to 15-1. As for New Orleans, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-11.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: The Cavaliers have been crazy accurate this season, having nailed 52.2% of their field goals per game (they’re ranked first in field goal percentage overall). It’s a different story for the Pelicans, though, as they’ve only made 43.6% of theirs this season. Given the Cavaliers’ sizable advantage in that area, the Pelicans will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Cavaliers were able to grind out a solid victory over the Pelicans when the teams last played two weeks ago, winning 131-122. Do the Cavaliers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pelicans turn the tables on them? We’ll have the answer soon enough.
Odds
Cleveland is a big 13.5-point favorite against New Orleans, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 13.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 223 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Cleveland and New Orleans both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Nov 06, 2024 – Cleveland 131 vs. New Orleans 122
- Mar 13, 2024 – Cleveland 116 vs. New Orleans 95
- Dec 21, 2023 – New Orleans 123 vs. Cleveland 104
- Feb 10, 2023 – Cleveland 118 vs. New Orleans 107
- Jan 16, 2023 – Cleveland 113 vs. New Orleans 103
- Jan 31, 2022 – Cleveland 93 vs. New Orleans 90
- Dec 28, 2021 – New Orleans 108 vs. Cleveland 104
- Apr 11, 2021 – New Orleans 116 vs. Cleveland 109
- Mar 12, 2021 – New Orleans 116 vs. Cleveland 82
- Feb 28, 2020 – New Orleans 116 vs. Cleveland 104
