The Cleveland Cavaliers remain undefeated this season, while the New Orleans Pelicans are struggling to stay competitive as they host the Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
The Cavaliers have matched the 8-0 start of their 1976 team after narrow victories in a home-and-home set against Milwaukee. Cleveland’s first six wins were by an average of 17 points.
Donovan Mitchell sealed the 114-113 win in Milwaukee on Saturday with a last-second jumper to cap his 30-point performance. On Monday, Mitchell had a quieter night with 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting, but Darius Garland stepped up, scoring 39 points in a 116-114 win over the Bucks. Cleveland finished the game on an 18-8 run, with Garland’s three-pointer securing the lead for good with 45 seconds left.
The Pelicans are facing their own challenges with a series of injuries to key players. Brandon Ingram was the only one of the team’s top five scorers to play in their 118-100 loss to Portland on Monday, where he scored 27 points.
Zion Williamson (hamstring) and Jordan Hawkins (back) are day-to-day, but Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, and Trey Murphy III are not close to returning. In their absence, guard Brandon Boston Jr. has taken advantage of increased minutes, averaging 16 points over the last three games.
Boston will likely continue to see plenty of shooting opportunities as Ingram faces frequent double-teams.
