How the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to get season rolling against Brooklyn Nets

The Cleveland Cavaliers fell to 0-1 with a 119-111 loss to the New York Knicks in the first game of a short road trip. While Cleveland would fight back and keep pace with the Knicks at a few points, a late-game surge would keep the Cavs just out of reach of a much-needed victory.

It would be the first regular-season opener Cleveland dropped since 2022, when the Cavs fell by three points to the Toronto Raptors in what would be Donovan Mitchell's first regular-season game with his new squad.

The Cavs will head to the Barclays Center to cap off their early trip to New York when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Cleveland swept the Nets during last year's regular season run, which was capped off by a five-point win that secured their second streak of 15 wins or more of the regular season. Brooklyn has since added several rookies, including former BYU and Real Madrid guard Egor Dёmin, in the 2025 draft to pair with an already-youthful roster.

They continued to shake things up by sending forward Cam Johnson, a starter for over two seasons, to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-rounder in the offseason.

Brooklyn fell in its recent matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, where all but one player in Charlotte's lineup scored in double figures en route to a 136-117 blowout. Center Nic Claxton took point for the Nets with 17 points as he went eight for 12 from the floor.

He fought hard against Charlotte's bigs down low as he alternated between misses and makes before exploding for six straight buckets. Claxton averaged just under nine points, seven rebounds and four assists per game in his four matchups with the Cavs last season as he battled against the big duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

The 26-year-old found some scoring success against Mobley off second chances and as a roller, but still had his moments when charging to the hoop with the ball in his hands.