Place: The SBC Center in San Antonio, TX.
Time: 8:30 p.m. EST
TV/Radio: WUAB Ch. 43/WTAM 1100

Projected Cavaliers Starters:

PG: LeBron James
SG: Kedrick Brown
SF: Eric Williams
PF: Carlos Boozer
C:  Zydrunas Ilguaskas

Cavaliers Injury Report: C Ruben Boomtje-Boumtje (ankle sprain), SF Jason Kapono (knee tendinitis) and PG Jeff McInnis (bone bruise) are on the injured list.

Projected Spurs Starters:

PG: Tony Parker
SG: Hidayet Turkoglu
SF: Bruce Bowen
PF: Tim Duncan
C:  Radoslav Nesterovic

Spurs Injury Report: C Sean Marks (patella tendinitis), SF Alex Garcia (knee contusion) and SG Matt Carroll (patella tendinitis).

Key Matchups:

Tim Duncan vs. Zydrunas Ilgauskas - Ilgauskas played Duncan as well as one could possibly expect the first meeting between the two teams.  Part of it was due to Ilgauskas' length bothering Duncan and part of it was due to Duncan just being off.  Duncan has been bothered by an injury recently but is appearing to be returning to full strength.  The best post player in the league Duncan has a wide array of moves to go to.  He has a hook from both boxes, a drop step, good outside with range out to about 20 feet and can face up and go either direction off the dribble.  In combination with great footwork, good hands, long arms and a good understanding of the game Duncan has very few weaknesses as a basketball player.  He loves the midrange, midpost area where he faces up and is usually deadly from there with a bank shot.  The best way for Ilgauskas to defend Duncan is what he did before which was to use his length to challenge his midrange shot and make Duncan a face up jump shooter.  Duncan will get his but when picking your poison you'd rather have him staying on the perimeter shooting jumpers than posting up scoring, drawing double teams and fouls.  When Duncan puts in on the floor when facing up Ilgauskas has to keep his knees bent and shave off his angle toward the middle and get some help making Duncan go over the top.  The Spurs will run a lot of post up isolations with Duncan and expect to see some pick and roll situations involving Ilgauskas.  Offensively, Ilgauskas must remain aggressive whether it is Duncan or Nesterovic on him and not bail them out on the fadeaway which means more baseline spins and up & unders as counters to his sweeping move into the lane.

Manu Ginobili vs. Cavaliers bench - Other than Duncan the hardest Spur to guard is Ginobili.  A bench player capable of starting he is very athletic with a good first step and he is just relentless attacking the basket and is a creative and great finisher.  Few teams have a player like Ginobili that comes off the bench and is able to change a game.  In addition to being great off the dribble he is dangerous in pick and roll situations where he is quick enough to turn the corner despite the defender going behind the pick.  Ginobili isn't a great shooter off the dribble but he is pretty good spotting up and shooting three pointers.  He is also a good passer and the second best perimeter defender on the Spurs behind Bruce Bowen but leads the Spurs in steals using quick hands, the ability to play passing lanes and dig down while playing help defense.  DaJuan Wagner is completely unable to handle a guy like Ginobili so the responsibility will likely fall to Ira Newble and maybe Kevin Ollie on occasion.  The key to Ginobili is to limit his penetration which is definitely easier said than done since he is so aggressive and active.  It might be best to give Ginobili a step and still go under the pick in two man game situations and make him shoot off the dribble.  Ira Newble has not consistently lived to his defensive reputation and the quickness factor will be an issue.  He cannot get up into Ginobili and stay in front of him.

When the Cavaliers have the ball: The Cavaliers finally figured out that they cannot just plug in different players and play the same way.  The Cavaliers were aggressive in pushing the ball against the Nets which paid dividends.  It plays into the strengths of James and limits his decision making in the halfcourt, gets guys easy shots and limits teams ability to zone or pack it in against the Cavaliers.  In essence. the Cavaliers have to junk the game up against the Spurs and play as fast as they can.  They are not going to beat San Antonio walking the ball up the floor.  Without McInnis, expect the Spurs to pressure the ball up the floor with Parker, Ginobilli and Bowen and then pack it in and funnel everything to Duncan and Nesterovic.  The Cavaliers aren't likely to get 41, 13 and 6 from James against a healthy defensive team like the Spurs so other players besides Boozer and Ilgauskas must make a significant contribution.  With James running the point the Cavaliers are mainly a pick and roll, two man game team and guys must make shots off his penetration.  James, for his part, has to have the same reckless abandon driving to the basket as he did against New Jersey and the first meeting with the Spurs.  Also, while playing fast the Cavaliers cannot turn the ball over.  The Spurs have some athletes in Parker, Ginobili, Turkoglu and Duncan that can turn the floor over quickly when give the opportunity.  

When San Antonio has the ball: The Spurs aren't a complex team offensively.  Everything revolves around Tim Duncan.  He gets the majority of the touches and shots.  The Spurs run a lot of post up isolations for Duncan in which many teams have to double team creating shots for the Spurs three point shooters Parker, Ginobili, Turkoglu who is shooting 45.5% for the year, Robert Horry, Bown and Charlie Ward.  Expect the Spurs to run some two man Ginobili and Parker with Duncan to use the two guards quickness and it is a play the Cavaliers continue to have problems with.  San Antonio is also one of the better rebounding teams in the league with Duncan and Nesterovic being two very good offensive rebounders.  The Cavaliers have been hurt all year with penetration breaking down the defense leaving the weakside open to offensive rebounds.  Perimeter defense will be a key along with Duncan.  If the Cavaliers cannot contain the penetration of Parker and Ginobili it opens things up for the big men and their drive and kick game. 

Game outlook: It would have taken a monumental effort by a Cavaliers team at full strength to beat the Spurs on the road where the Cavaliers haven't won since 1988.  Without McInnis it is just too much to ask for this current team.  It took a historic performance by LeBron James to beat the Nets minus Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin at home.  The Spurs are known to have clunker offensive games where they turn it over a ton along with shoot it badly and that would need to happen along with a Herculean effort by the Cavaliers as a unit to pull out a win.