The Cleveland Cavaliers are hosting the Brooklyn Nets for the first game of a 5-in-7 stretch! I'll be live updating this page throughout the night.

The Cavs will be without Max Strus, Emmanuel Miller (two-way), and Riley Minix (two-way). The Nets will not have Josh Minott or Ben Saraf, in addition to their three two-way players.

STARTERS

Nets - Traore, Demin, Porter Jr., Clowney, Sharpe

Cavs - Harden, Mitchell, Wade, Mobley, Allen

FIRST QUARTER

Evan Mobley gets it on the block early and passes to Jarrett Allen on the cut, who draws a foul then splits the pair. Cavs get a Michael Porter Jr. miss, then immediately, James Harden hits a cross-court feed to Dean Wade from the right wing. Jordi Fernandez called for time 41 seconds in.

Donovan Mitchell is giving Nets rookie standout Nolan Traore a ton of welcome-to-the-NBA moments in the early going. That oop finish from Harden on the fastbreak was just mean.

Dennis Schroder, Sam Merrill, and Jaylon Tyson all check in for Mitchell, Mobley, and Wade.

Just the threat of Harden is making his teammates' lives so, so easy.

Mitchell now in for Harden at the 4:30 mark. Same group though.

Cavs up 29-14 with 2:46 to go in the opening frame. They're getting up and down with eight fastbreak points. Allen's played every minute thus far.

Wade at the 5 to close the quarter in place of Allen now.

About as complete a quarter you'll see from Cleveland there. Nets can't buy a shot, either at 6-of-25. Doesn't help that MPJ's been in foul trouble already.

END 1Q: Cavs 34, Nets 16

BKN: Porter 6p, 1r, 1a. Clowney 6p.

CLE: Allen 10p, 1r, blk, stl. Mitchell 6p, 3r, 2a. Wade 6p, 3r. Harden 2p, 4a, 1r, stl. Merrill 3p, 3r, 1a. Tyson 3p, 3r. 

SECOND QUARTER

Keon Ellis in as the Cavs' ninth guy. Immediately drives a closeout and crams in traffic, then blocks a Ziaire Williams three in the left corner. Instinct meets athleticism with this guy.

Harden back in for Mitchell three-and-a-half minutes into the second with Schroder, Ellis, Tyson, and Mobley. Craig Porter Jr. follows as the 10th man of the rotation.

Now we've got Harden-Porter-Merrill-Ellis-Allen as the five in.

Cleveland up 47-28 on Brooklyn 47-28 with 6:52 left until the half. Wine and gold shooting 62.1% from the field and 5-of-8 on threes.

The Nets all of a sudden have 42 points and are 11-of-21 in the second. Egor Demin is starting to get 'em to fall. Cavs still ahead 56-42 with 3:37 remaining.

Cavs have a remarkably balanced box score at half. Leaving half of their free throws at the line, too (Allen is 5-of-10).

HALF: Cavs 70, Nets 48

BKN: Porter 14p, 5r, 2a, blk. Demin 8p, 1r, stl. Clowney 8p, 2a. Traore 7p, 2a, 1r. 2stl

CLE: Allen 15p, 6r, 1a, blk, stl. Harden 13p, 6a, 3r, 2stl. Mitchell 12p, 4a, 3r. Wade 8p, 5r. Tyson 5p, 3r, 1a. Ellis 7p, blk.

THIRD QUARTER

Cavs open on a 9-2 run. It's been seamless. Good sign that the last two games against young, inexperienced teams at home, Cleveland has not messed around one bit and asserted dominance.

Cleveland leads it by 35 and there are still 20 minutes left in this game. This is a rout and then some. Uncle.

Jaylon Tyson has had some nice minutes of cutting and attacking off movement with high-glass finishing this quarter. Otherwise, it's just been an all-out blitzing.

Dennis Schroder also got going with nine in the period. Some quick drives off the dribble and a spot-up right-corner trey from Tyson.

END 3Q: Cavs 102, Nets 67

BKN: Porter 14p, 5r, 2a, blk. Wolf 8p, 5a, 3r, blk. Traore 8p, 3a, 2stl. Agbaji 8p, 3a, 1r, blk.

CLE: Allen 15p, 10r, 2blk, 1a, stl. Harden 16p, 9a, 4r, 3stl. Mitchell 17p, 5a, 3r. Mobley 10p, 9r, 2a, blk. Wade 11p, 5r. Schroder 12p, 3a, 2r. Tyson 11p, 5r, 2a, blk.

FOURTH QUARTER

Larry Nance Jr. starts the quarter, then Tyrese Proctor and Tristan Enaruna come in. Porter and Ellis are back in, too. Get a running clock because this one is over.