The NBA wraps up 2024 with the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers visiting the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday for the final game of the year.
Cleveland enters the game on the second night of a back-to-back and is playing the third game in a four-game Western Conference road trip. On Monday, they dominated Golden State 113-95, limiting the Warriors to just 33-of-99 shooting.
This win was the third time this season the Cavaliers have held an opponent under 100 points, with two of those games happening in the last two weeks. On Dec. 21, they blew out the Philadelphia 76ers 126-99, extending their current seven-game winning streak.
That seven-game run is part of an 11-1 stretch, which has given the Cavaliers their best start in franchise history.
“It’s been a great year. A lot of ups and downs, but we’re in an up right now,” said Cleveland guard Darius Garland, who scored 25 points in Monday’s win. “We’re going to try to keep going up right now. Hope we have a lot more ups going into 2025.”
Meanwhile, the Lakers have won five of their last six games, including a 132-122 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 36 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists, while Austin Reaves added 26 points and a career-high 16 assists in the absence of LeBron James, who was out with an illness.
Both James and Davis (who is dealing with a sprained left ankle) are listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game.
Rookie Dalton Knecht also had 18 points, marking his second consecutive game in double digits. Knecht had a breakout stretch in November, scoring 37 and 27 points in back-to-back games, but struggled in December, averaging just 4.3 points per game over six contests.
Since their last game, the Lakers made a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, sending D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to Brooklyn in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.
Russell was averaging 12.4 points per game but was shooting only 41.5% from the floor. Finney-Smith had an average of 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 20 games for Brooklyn, while Milton contributed 7.4 points per game in 27 games, mostly off the bench.
“I’m excited to be back playing meaningful basketball,” said Finney-Smith about the trade. “It’s been awhile, but I’m excited, especially if I can go (vs. Cleveland).”
LeBron James shared his thoughts on the new players: “They bring experience, they bring toughness, and (are) guys who’ve played in big games. They’ve mastered their roles throughout their careers, and I’m looking forward to them getting into our system.”
If the new players are available on Tuesday, their presence could provide the Lakers with additional depth against a Cleveland team that has thrived with strong depth and balance.
Donovan Mitchell (23.6 points per game) and Garland (20.7 points per game) lead a group of six Cavaliers players averaging double digits.
