Cleveland stands as the lone undefeated team in the Eastern Conference, while only OKC shares this title in the entire NBA. The Cavaliers' dominance is no accident, as they have convincingly won four games by a margin of 12 points or more. Their undefeated streak is made even more impressive by the fact that they went winless in the preseason, showing a remarkable turnaround in their performance.
The Bucks were expected to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, but a 1-4 start has home fans fearing the deer. The only victory was a win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the season opener. The nature of the defeats is even more disheartening, with Milwaukee losing three of those four games by 23 points or more.
Cleveland was expected to be a defensive team, but they rank second in points scored and offensive efficiency. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are one of the best backcourt duos in the league, while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen dominate the paint.
These teams have switched off wins and losses in their last five matchups, splitting the last two season series against one another. The home team has also won six of those eight matchups.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.4 points per game, while Damian Lillard has a 23-point average, but no other player is averaging more than 12 points or two assists per game. Milwaukee needs guys like Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez to help as long as Khris Middleton (ankle) remains sidelined.