CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs (13-10) continue their homestand against the San Antonio Spurs (15-6) on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Both the Spurs and Cavaliers enter Rocket Arena severely undermanned on Friday night — and for Cleveland, it’s yet another opener to a taxing back-to-back.
San Antonio will again be without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, two losses that strip away their rim protection and perimeter resistance. Even so, the Spurs showed Wednesday they can stay organized and competitive without them as they bested the Orlando Magic.
If Luke Kornet, who is questionable, is available, San Antonio regains an active rim perimeter who can punish Cleveland’s smaller lineups in the absence of Jarrett Allen. Kornet’s screens, rolls and second-chance effort can tilt possessions, especially against a Cavs team that’s had to patch together its frontline.
Cleveland, meanwhile, remains heavily depleted: Allen (finger), Darius Garland (toe management), Sam Merrill (hand), Larry Nance Jr. (calf), Tyrese Proctor (personal) and Max Strus (foot surgery) are all out again.
The conversation then turns to how Kenny Atkinson utilizes his available rotations.
Atkinson will have to make the difficult the decision of how he distributes minutes and deploying lineups based on matchups.
Without Garland, Atkinson will need to lean even more on Craig Porter Jr. and Jaylon Tyson to create off the bounce, while Lonzo Ball’s transition impact becomes especially important in lineups that already have enough dribble-drive creation in the half court.
On the other side of the ball, the Cavs’ transition defense will be tested immediately. De’Aaron Fox’s end-to-end speed and burst remain among the league’s deadliest, and Cleveland has struggled to contain downhill creation in early offense. If Fox controls tempo, the Cavs’ margin for error shrinks.
Injuries once again put Cleveland’s hunger under the microscope. The question is whether the Cavs can play with the intensity, physicality and focus needed to keep pace with a disciplined Spurs group for the full 48 minutes.
How to watch the Cavs: See how to watch the Cavs games with this handy game-by-game TV schedule.
Here’s what to know about the matchup:
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs
Series: First of two matchups in the regular season.
Where: Rocket Arena
When: 7:30 p.m. ET.
The point spread: Cavaliers minus-5.5; O/U 238.5
TV: FanDuel Sports Network – Ohio
Injury report
Cavs
Out:
Jarrett Allen (right third finger; strain)Darius Garland (left great toe; injury management)Sam Merrill (right hand; sprain)Larry Nance Jr. (right calf; strain)Tyrese Proctor (personal reasons)Max Strus (left foot; Jones fracture surgery)
Spurs
Questionable:
Luke Kornet (left ankle; soreness)
Out:
Stephon Castle (left hip flexor; strain)Harrison Ingram (G League – Two-Way)Jordan McLaughlin (left hamstring; strain)Riley Minix (G League – Two-Way)Victor Wembanyama (left calf; strain)