Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder FREE Live Streaming: Watch Online NBA Battle at 8:00 PM ET from Chesapeake Energy Arena in OK City
Oklahoma City (43-14) hasn't dropped three straight since Feb. 12-20, 2013, but is on the verge of that dubious distinction after a 125-117 loss to the Clippers on Sunday. The Thunder allowed the Clippers to make 13 3-pointers and shoot 51.9 percent overall.
They allowed Miami to shoot 54.7 percent in a 103-81 loss to open their six-game homestand Thursday.
"We've just got to get over this little slow stretch that we're in," said Kevin Durant, who had a team-best 42 points and 10 assists Sunday. "We'd better. We've got to play defense. That's the thing. We can't just let teams come in here and do whatever they want offensively."
Russell Westbrook will try for an improved effort while helping Oklahoma City avoid its first three-game home losing streak since a six-game skid March 18-April 7, 2009, its first season after relocating from Seattle.
During their attempt to avoid that skid, the Thunder will face a Cavaliers team missing three significant contributors and struggling since a six-game win streak, its longest in nearly four years.
Cleveland (22-36) suffered its third straight loss Tuesday, 99-93 against visiting Toronto. The Cavaliers have shot 39.3 percent during their skid and gone 13 of 55 (23.6 percent) from 3-point range while averaging 89.0 points -- 14.8 fewer than in their six consecutive wins.
They haven't been helped by the absence of third-leading scorer Dion Waiters, who has missed four straight games with a hyperextended left knee. C.J. Miles has been out for the last three because of a sprained left ankle, and Anderson Varejao (back) has been sidelined the past seven.
Kyrie Irving scored a team-best 35 points in Cleveland's most recent matchup with Oklahoma City, a 115-110 home victory Feb. 2, 2013. The Cavaliers had dropped three of four meetings before that win and have lost two of their last three visits to Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The game will be live streaming online at nbalivestreamfree.net/
