Cleveland Cavaliers, as expected, have been one of the strongest teams in the NBA this season, winning some huge matches. They face another popular team Chicago Bulls in their eastern conference clash at the Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday.
Read: Cavaliers defeat Warriors
Basketball fans will hope Bulls' Dwayne Wade, who missed their last match due to swelling in his left knee, will be available for the visitors as his head-to-head contest against Cavs' LeBron James, which will be a huge match-up. The decision to play Wade or not is going to be a game-time decision. Even if Wade features during the game, the task for Bulls is not going to be easy.
After Cavaliers' impressive win over Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, they were below par losing to Detriot Pistons next. They cannot afford to be inconsistent against Bulls, who will hope to shine on Wednesday.
Coming into this game, the Cavs are favourite to pick their 27th win of the season and consolidate their position at the top of the conference, but the Bulls will be eager to strike them hard. The Cavs have won their last three games with their players showing some good hand in both the offensive and defensive board. They will have to come up with a similar performance against the Bulls as well.
However, there are injury concerns for both the teams in the contest. Cavs' Kyrie Irving is suffering from right hamstring problem, while Bulls' Denzel Valentine is out with an ankle injury. Bulls' coach Fred Hoiberg has a huge call to make regarding Wade, which will be taken just ahead of the game.
"We had a couple of guys who didn't do much, including Dwyane. He's feeling better. His swelling is down. We'll make a determination on him tomorrow. It will probably be all the way up until game time. Denzel will not make the trip. He has pretty significant swelling in that ankle, which obviously is too bad, based on how he played and the spark he gave our team," Chicago Sun Times quoted Hoiberg as saying.
If Wade is not available for the match, Jimmy Butler will be under huge pressure as the onus to defeat Cavaliers will land on the forward, who will be keen to help Bulls to get back to their winning ways. The Bulls have lost five of their last eight games, and it is time for them to buckle up against Cavs and the season ahead.
Where to Watch Live
Cavaliers vs Warriors is set to begin at 8 pm ET (6:30 am IST next day, 1 am GMT). Live Streaming and TV guide for the NBA opener is below.
India: TV:Sony Six and Sony Six HD. Live Streaming:Sonyliv.
USA: TV:ESPN. Live Streaming:Watch ESPN
UK: TV:BT Sport. Live Streaming:Watch BT Sport.
Australia: TV:ESPN. Live Streaming:Watch ESPN
Global live Streaming: NBA League Pass
