With 13 games remaining in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ schedule, the regular season’s end is within sight, and playoff positioning begins to be a hot topic of conversation. The Toronto Raptors are the only team in the Eastern Conference with a realistic chance of catching the Cavaliers for 1st place in the Eastern Conference. With that, let’s take a look at the remaining schedule, highlighting the remaining important games, and nights when some players, most especially LeBron James, can get valuable rest to be prepared for the playoffs.
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For the remaining six games in March, five of them are against teams that are under .500. There is only one back-to-back set of games, so look for the stars to rest on Thursday, the 24th, when the Cavs take on the Brooklyn Nets. Other than that, the Cavs should look to play with a full lineup for these games since most of the players will most likely be able to rest in the 4th quarter, and locking up 1st place as early as possible is in the best interest of the Cavs.
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Of the final 13 games, the Cavs have six games against teams under .500. The Raptors have a similar road ahead, but their easier games come in the month of April. That being said, Toronto has a tougher schedule in March, making the opportunity to lock up 1st place higher for the Cavs if they play with a full lineup to finish the current month.
If the Cavs are able to extend the lead in the conference by the end of March by three games or so, then look for Cleveland to take care of business for the first two games in April and then restrict minutes of James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. The must-see games for the remainder of the season would then be April 1st and April 3rd against the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets, respectively. Not only will those be great games to gauge the playoff readiness of the Cavaliers, but these games also have the potential to be the deciding games of whether or not the Cavs clinch the East’s top seed.
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If the Cavaliers win both of these games, look for restricted minutes for LeBron James in the remaining games. The first goal should be to lock up 1st place, and once that goal is within grasp, rest and prepare for a title run.