LeBron-less Cavs head west to visit Warriors

Two months earlier than they've become accustomed, the Cleveland Cavaliers make their final trip of the season to Oakland, Calif., to take on the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.

Both teams will be playing for the second straight night at a second different site, with the Cavaliers having lost 117-104 at Sacramento on Thursday, while the Warriors were 500 miles to the south taking care of business in Los Angeles against the Lakers, 108-90.

The meeting will be the first in Oakland since Game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals last June, a game the Warriors won 122-103 en route to a four-game sweep over the Cavaliers.

The clubs have met in each of the last four NBA Finals, but it won't happen again for a fifth straight time. The Cavaliers (19-60), who lost LeBron James to the Lakers in free agency last summer, have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this season.

Also likely missing from the team that takes the floor for the Cavaliers on Friday night will be Kevin Love, who is probably done for the season with a sore left shoulder.

Love was the Cavaliers' leading rebounder (11.3) and second-leading scorer (19.0) behind James (34.0) in last year's Finals.

One guy the Cavaliers are expected to feature is rookie guard Collin Sexton, who scored in double figures for the 20th straight game with 19 points in Thursday's loss at Sacramento.

Sexton admitted recently he's still playing for something: He'd like to be among the five players honored as NBA All-Rookie first-team selections this season.

"That was one of my goals," he assured reporters. "Would mean a lot. A tremendous accomplishment because there's only five. It just shows all the hard work you've put in the entire season."

The eighth overall pick in last June's draft, Sexton ranks third to Luka Doncic (1,505) and Trae Young (1,504) in total points (1,310) and fourth to Young (636), Doncic (418) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (258) in assists with 225.

The 20-year-old had 21 points and three assists when the Warriors swamped the Cavaliers 129-105 in Cleveland in December.

Stephen Curry poured in 42 points that night, hitting nine 3-pointers.

Curry shot just 1-for-9 on threes and totaled just seven points in the Warriors' win in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Curry was still basking in the glory of having passed Golden State legend Chris Mullin for fourth place on the Warriors' all-time scoring list in Tuesday's win over Denver.

"It was a pretty special night understanding what Chris Mullin was able to do wearing a Warriors uniform and representing the organization and (San Francisco) Bay Area," Curry gushed to reporters in the wake of the accomplishment. "His jersey is obviously in the (Oracle Arena) rafters for a reason. It's pretty cool. I'm sure I'll talk to him and see him as some point and share a good moment."

Curry still trails Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry and Paul Arizin on the list.

In the front half of a back-to-back sequence, the Warriors were able to limit all starters to 29 or fewer minutes against the Lakers.

Nonetheless, coach Steve Kerr has announced that center DeMarcus Cousins, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes, won't play the second night of the back-to-back.

Andre Iguodala also will get the night off as the Warriors, who finish the regular season with another back-to-back next week, prepare for what they hope will be another long playoff run.

--Field Level Media