Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Pick & Prediction OCTOBER 30th 2024

Preview and Prediction

LeBron James makes his return to Cleveland, a place where he has had great success as an opponent with a record of 9-2. This time, he will be accompanied by his son Bronny.

The father-son duo from the Los Angeles Lakers are coming off their first defeat of the season as they prepare to face the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Cleveland is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since the 2016-17 season, when LeBron James was still a member of the team and Bronny was just a grade school student.

The Cavaliers have been dominant in their four victories, winning by an average margin of 16.8 points. They recently overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat the New York Knicks on Monday night. Cleveland currently leads the NBA in field-goal percentage at 52.8% and ranks third in scoring with 123.5 points per game.

"We are well aware of what they have been able to accomplish in the past few years," said James in regards to the Cavaliers. "It seems like they have picked up where they left off last year and have only gotten better. They have a strong starting lineup, so we need to be prepared for a physical and close game."

All-Star Donovan Mitchell is leading the way for the Cavaliers with an average of 23.8 points per game, while center Jarrett Allen is averaging 9.5 rebounds.

"We are still figuring things out on the fly, and it won't always be perfect, but we continue to push through," Mitchell said after their win against the Knicks. "That's what I love about this team. We never give up and keep fighting until the end."

James, who will turn 40 on December 30, is currently averaging 20 points per game for the Lakers under new head coach JJ Redick. This game against the Cavaliers is the second of a five-game road trip for Los Angeles.

In their last game against the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers had a seven-point lead going into the fourth quarter but ended up losing 109-105. James had a rare off night, shooting only 3-of-14 from the field and finishing with 11 points. After the game, he revealed that he had been dealing with an illness.

"I'm not feeling my best," James admitted.

The Lakers' offense has been led by Anthony Davis, who currently leads the NBA with 32.8 points per game. He also ranks second in the league with 12.8 free-throw attempts per game. Austin Reaves has been a surprise contributor for the Lakers, averaging 19.3 points per game.

While there has been much talk about the father-son duo of LeBron and Bronny James, Bronny has only played three minutes this season and has one rebound to his name.

LeBron James has always enjoyed playing against his former team. In his career as an opponent against the Cavaliers, he holds a record of 19-3 and has averaged 28.5 points per game.

The Lakers swept the season series against the Cavaliers last year. They will meet again in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve.

PREDICTION

Los Angeles Lakers

111

115

Cleveland Cavaliers