The NBA league standings leader, the Cleveland Cavaliers, will emerge from the league All-Star break hoping to build on their fantastic first half of the season. The Cavs will get that mission started on Thursday, as they return from week-long break with a trip to Barclays.
After a highly uncharacteristic three-game losing skid for the 10-loss Cavs, they successfully got back on track with eight wins over their last nine games before heading away to the Bay Area for All-Star or to their respective vacation destinations.
The Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, captured a rare bit of positivity and momentum before the break arrived. With no All-Stars on the Nets’ roster, they’ll be hoping a week of rest and recuperation allows them to hit the ground running in the second half of the year.
With an NBA League Pass special on the slate this Thursday in New York City, check out our Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets predictions, including our NBA expert picks, with tip set for February 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Matchup Cleveland Cavaliers vs Brooklyn Nets Overview
Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets
Date: Thursday, February 20, 2025
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Barclays Center
Win Probabilities
The prediction tip for the winner in the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets is the Brooklyn Nets.
Projected Final Score
Our predicted final score for this NBA matchup is Brooklyn Nets 94-115 Cleveland Cavaliers.
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
It is a considerable example of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ consistency, and great play this year, that a three-game losing skid at the end of January helped to make up nearly a third of their total losses on the season.
Though they are no longer enjoying a record-setting pace, 60 wins is in sight, and Cleveland knows any further slippage could see the defending champion Boston Celtics catch up quickly. To get off to a strong start and dispatch the lesser Brooklyn Nets is a must.
While earlier in the season, a win against the Nets would seem nearly guaranteed, that picture has changed a bit. Despite having every mark of a rebuilding, and arguably outright tanking team, the Nets have rediscovered a little pride and tenacity.
Over their last 10 games ahead of the All-Star break, Brooklyn ranked 14th in net rating in the league and evolved into a tough matchup for teams. The Nets’ newfound competitiveness leaves Cleveland with a challenge on Thursday night.
Why the Cleveland Cavaliers Can Cover
Neither of the Cleveland Cavaliers or Brooklyn Nets play in transition with great frequency. The Cavs, with one of the league’s best and most efficient offenses, average 14.8 fast break points per game — in the bottom 10 in the league.
Similarly, the Nets are happy to play in the half court and let isolation focused players like Cam Thomas and D’Angelo Russell go to work. On the year, Brooklyn’s a touch below Cleveland in fast break points per game, at 13.8.
A game in the half court is just fine for these Cavs, as far as covering in Brooklyn is concerned. Cleveland is a fantastic team and complete on both ends. It is first in offensive rating, eighth in defense, and second in net rating. The Cavs should enter Barclays Center hoping the Nets keep it slow.
Offensively, in a slowed down game, Brooklyn doesn’t have the structure or personnel to contend with the Cavs’ ball movement, fluidity, and shot making from Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. And, defensively, Cleveland can happily invite Thomas, Russell, and company to try and break down its defense — because even if the Nets succeed, they have the Cavs’ towers in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley to deal with.
The Cavs will happily play their game, and let these two teams’ styles define the fight between them. It’s a fight the Cavs should win almost every time.
Why the Brooklyn Nets Can Cover
The Brooklyn Nets are 20-34, with the 27th ranked offense by efficiency and a net rating hovering just above the bottom three in the NBA. They took on a bad salary ahead of the deadline, failed to move their best asset in Cam Johnson, and are hoping June’s NBA Draft lottery can reverse their fortunes.
Yet, these same Nets are not a very welcome sight for the Cleveland Cavaliers fresh out of All-Star weekend in the Bay Area. Head coach Jordi Fernandez has uncovered something in his Nets team lately, and it has turned them into a legitimately tough-out for teams.
Ahead of the All-Star break, the Nets held six of their last seven opponents to under 100 points. That includes a pair of gritty wins over the tough Houston Rockets, and a dominant win over the Miami Heat. Such defensive dominance meant that over their last 10 games, Brooklyn is first in the entire league in defensive rating.
That is an incredible feat for such a talent poor roster and, while Nic Claxton is a good defensive center, is entirely the result of coaching and effort from the players. If they successfully carry that effort over after the All-Star break, they can cover here.
Cleveland will have three of its five starters — Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland — returning from a long weekend of festivities in San Francisco before hopping on a cross-country flight. A high level of regular season intensity from the Nets, combined with tired legs for the Cavs, gives Brooklyn a legit chance.
Furthering those hopes for the Nets is the way their offense comes. They are in the top 10 in three point rate, with 38.1% of their total shots coming from distance. Such a commitment to shooting, when paired with good defense, gives a team a good chance every night.
The Nets will come ready to play, and simply more of the same they showed ahead of the break will be enough to cover.
How to Make Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets Picks
Ready to make picks on the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets matchup on Thursday, February 20? Make sure to head over to Sportzino, where you can find every NBA game on the slate this weekend and so much more!
