Tonight, the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers will close out their current three-game road trip in South Beach with a matchup against the Miami Heat.
After last night’s 135-130 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, Cavs Head Coach Tyronn Lue hinted that he may be resting a few of his star players in the near future. Tonight, it appears he has elected to rest Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving both will not play against Miami tonight.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) March 4, 2017
James, who played 39 minutes in last night’s win, has been logging loads of minutes this season. Currently, he is averaging 25.9 points, 8.9 assists, and 8.0 rebounds in a whopping 37.6 minutes per game.
With Irving and James both on the sidelines, look for newcomers Derrick Williams, Deron Williams, and Kyle Korver to see increased playing time. The Cavs are known for their “Next man up” mentality. They’ll just have to hold true to those words tonight.
Coach Tyronn Lue said newly acquired Deron Williams will start for Irving. The other starters are Iman Shumpert, Kyle Korver, James Jones, and Tristan Thompson.
