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The Cavaliers have been slow out of the gates this season, in part due to injury and in part due to unfamiliarity, a dangerous combination given LeBron James and his short-term commitment.
Anyway, given those struggles the 76ers might have actually stood a chance against the renowned pirates of Lake Erie, even with the world's most (or second-most, depending on your thoughts on Kobe) famous basketball player. They're slated to visit Philadelphia on Monday, January 5th. Now, LeBron is out for two weeks with a knee injury:
STATUS UPDATE: @KingJames' MRI reveals left knee, low back strains. Projected OUT 2wks. [MORE] http://t.co/y4sKA5w2p8 pic.twitter.com/Vgg23tqwK2
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 1, 2015
The Cavs season just seems to be getting worse and worse, and this cannot help David Blatt's job security.
Meanwhile, the NBA schedule-makers gave the Sixers ticket office no help when only scheduling the Cavaliers for one night during the season, a Monday at the beginning of January. Teams either have three or four games against Conference opponents outside the division as part of the 82-game season, with just two Eastern Conference teams visiting once. Cleveland was one of them (Orlando was the other).
This game was a hot ticket. Included as the centerpiece of the team's Big Game Plan, and not available as part of the team's Christmas discount series, the sales seemed to be doing well. Now that so many people have invested in the game, of course LeBron goes down. It's a situation of "buyer beware" at the worst time. Unfortunately, this is the second major NBA name to miss a game in Philly on short notice this season. Dirk Nowitzki sat out a game for rest that the Mavericks eventually won.
For season ticket holders and others who buy tickets this year to see opposing superstars for cheap, there's at least Kyrie Irving and other new big addition Kevin Love. If Love's playing that is, since he also missed a recent game with back spasms. Still, Dion Waiters might have to throw another party in order for people to get their money's worth.