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LeBron James isn't playing tonight! The Rockets are going to win!
Not so fast.
The Rockets have fallen for this before. They've lost against a Knicks team without Carmelo Anthony, a Clippers team without Blake Griffin, and a Warriors squad without Steph Curry. Oh, and all of those games were at home. And James Harden has proven that he gets up to the challenge of playing LeBron or other top players. How will he play without the added motivation of beating LeBron?
Tonight's game is in Cleveland (suddenly nicknamed "The Land"). Kyrie Irving took their last game off and will be rested and ready. Kevin Love is lightning it up. Tristan Thompson hustles? Put him down for 20 rebounds against this Rockets squad. Channing Frye is on the Cavs now too. So pencil him in for 20 points on 5-6 from deep.
Tonight's game is nationally televised, but luckily the regular TNT crews are doing the NCAA tournament stuff. Hopefully we'll get someone who doesn't despise the Houston Rockets on principle.
Yeah, probably not.
Tip-off is at 7pm Central Time on TNT.
Rockets vs Cavaliers coverage