The standout team of Western Conference, Cleveland Cavaliers, who have played some brilliant basketball in the regular season, are set to face Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Tuesday.
The Cavaliers currently stand atop of their conference with 26 wins and nine losses, while the Mavericks lie fifth in the Eastern Conference, with 22 wins and 16 losses. However a "decent performance" on Tuesday will not guarantee success at home against their opponent, with Cavaliers enjoying one of the best runs in the league so far with seven wins on a trot.
Much of their success in the regular season goes to their talismanic player LeBron James, who averages 25.8 points per game. What makes matters worse for the Mavs is James' performance in their last game against the Philapdelphia Sixers, where the no 23 put up a great show, scoring a season-high 37 points. It is such performances which scare opponents who face the Cavaliers.
James is not the only star player in their team, but he is looked upon as a father figure who always delivers when the team needs him the most.
"They look at me as the leader of this team and I've got to be that way all year round," AP quoted James as saying. "They needed me a lot (Sunday night) and I was able to come through."
Apart from James, they also have some great players who can turn up the heat when their star blows cold. With Kyrie Irving, who averages 15,9 points and 3.6 assists, in their team, the Cavs are one of the offensively strongest teams in the NBA.
If the Cavs posses James and Irving, the Mavs also have an imposing figure in the form of Dirk Nowitzki, who has been one of the best players the league has seen in NBA's history. Though Nowitzki may be 37 years old, he still has plenty of fire in his belly to come up with huge games and help his team win matches.
After playing an impressive game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game, scoring 29 points, the Mavs number 41 will hold the key in breaking the Cavs' winning streak. It is Nowitzki's performance which has helped him win respect among his teammates.
"Hitting shots from everywhere, making big shots, big plays. That's why he's one of the greatest," said guard Deron Williams.
Where to watch live
Dallas Mavericks vs Cleveland Cavaliers live NBA game is scheduled for 8:30 pm ET (7 am IST, 9:30 am Philippines ) start with live TV coverage in India on Sony Six while the live streaming is available on Sonyliv.
Viewers in Philippines can watch Dallas Mavericks vs Cleveland Cavaliers live NBA game on NBA Premium.
There will be no live coverage of the game in the US on national TV.
Viewers around the world can watch all the NBA live action by live streaming on NBA Online.
