Pregame notes

Courtesy of the Trail Blazers and Cavaliers PR staffs, I present to you some notes about tonight's game (just like the media get!), which is a 6 p.m. start time. Don't show up an hour late.


First, the Blazers notes:

• The two teams have split each of the last two season series, with the home team winning all four games.

• Cleveland and Portland each notched double-digit wins over each other last year, (Cavaliers won 100-87 on Nov. 15 2006; Trail Blazers won 94-76 on Jan. 17 2007).

• Brandon Roy faced the Cavs just once last season, notching a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to go with a career high six steals in the 94-76 win.

• Sergio Rodriguez averaged 8.5 assists vs. the Cavs last season, and led Portland in assists both meetings.

• The Trail Blazers held the Cavs to nine first quarter points the last time the two teams met, the lowest point total of any quarter for a Portland opponent last season.

• Only three current Trail Blazers (LaMarcus Aldridge, Sergio Rodriguez and Martell Webster) played in both games vs. Cleveland last season, while 10 current Cavs played in the teams’ two meetings.

• LeBron James led Cleveland last year, averaging 27.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in two games vs. Portland.

• LaMarcus Aldridge and Daniel Gibson were teammates at the University of Texas for two seasons, and led the Longhorns to the most wins (30) in school history in 2005-06.

Now, the Cleveland side:

• Cleveland is 8-4 on the road this season against Western Conference foes. The Cavaliers have won four straight road games and with a win tonight would post five roads win in a row for the first time since March 17-April 1, 1998.

• Cleveland has won 12 of their last 15 games overall. Since December 25, Cleveland’s 12-3 record is the best record among Eastern Conference teams.

• Over his last 10 games, LeBron James has averaged 32.9 points on .496 shooting, 9.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. He posted his league-leading fifth 40+ point game of the season on Sunday afternoon at the Lakers.

• Zydrunas Ilgauskas has averaged 20.3 points on .625 shooting, 9.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his last three games. He has posted double-doubles in each of the last two outings.

• With two assists today, LeBron James would pass John Bagley for second place on the all-time Cavaliers assist list. Bagley finished his Cavs career with 2,311 assists in 375 games. James has 2,310 assists in 354 games.

• In his last two outings, Larry Hughes has averaged 20.5 points on .500 shooting, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. He has also connected on 5-9 (.556) shooting from three-point range during that stretch.