The Land Before Time: Cavs vs Blazers Pregame Thoughts

March 25, 2025 vs Portland

Everyone take a deep breath. Make that four deep breaths. And take a power nap while you’re at it. These late night games have been tough for fans and players alike, and we are almost through it.

After a lackluster start to the West Coast road trip, the Cavs returned to their old form on Sunday against Utah. While the first half was sleepy and both teams shot poorly, the Cavs finally produced another “Cavalanche” and beat Utah in the manner that they should. However, over the last ten games, the Cavs are shooting a league-worst 32.7% from three.

Tonight, we find out if the second half of the Utah game was a true reversal, or simply a brief flash provided by playing the worst team in the Western Conference. The Blazers defense has ranked 9th in the NBA in the last 10 games and will provide a stern test for the Cavs’ offense. The Cavs will need to be sharp, decisive, and mobile on offense to succeed. Of special interest will be who Toumani Camara matches up with. The Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month in February has become a bonafide All-Defensive Team candidate. With Donovan Mitchell out tonight, will he go up against Mobley or Darius Garland?

The Blazers have come on strong throughout this season, and they somehow find themselves only 3 games out of the play-in. A strong finish could mean they make the postseason for the first time since 2021. Tonight’s game is the last home game before a week-long road trip out East, and they will surely be looking to give the best team in the East a good fight. Meanwhile, for the Cavs, a win tonight would go a long way to rightening the ship before returning home.

As we prepare to watch tonight’s game in Oregon, let’s watch for a few things:

1. Who will Toumani Camara guard and how will he affect the Cavs’ offense? He is perhaps the best individual defender the Cavs have played on this road trip, and it will be interesting to see if Garland and Mobley can produce against him.

2. Shooting: Can the Cavs return to form and put together four quarters of consistent shooting, especially beyond the three-point line?

3. Rebounding: Portland is third in the NBA in offensive rebounding (12.9 per game). Can the Cavs limit second chance opportunities for the Blazers and win the rebounding battle? Eliminating those second-chance opportunities might be the difference in this one.

‍

‍