The Cleveland Cavaliers are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers before their five-game road trip out west! I'll be live updating this page throughout the night.

The Cavs will be without Evan Mobley (left calf strain), Darius Garland (right great toe sprain), Luke Travers (two-way), Tristan Enaruna (two-way), and Max Strus. De'Andre Hunter and Sam Merrill are available. The Lakers will be without Austin Reaves and Adou Thiero.

STARTERS:

Lakers - Doncic, Smart, LaRavia, James, Ayton

Cavs - Mitchell, Merrill, Tyson, Wade, Allen

FIRST QUARTER

Cavs start off on a 5-0 run with a Jarrett Allen hook and a Sam Merrill three on a DHO from Jaylon Tyson.

Lakers punch back with a 8-2 run. LeBron created or scored on all of 'em. LA looking ahead on every opportunity with LeBron leaking. Cleveland will be at a disadvantage down the floor with that if shots don't fall.

Crag Porter Jr. and De'Andre Hunter in for Mitchell and Dean Wade with about six-and-a-half minutes left in the first. 

Nae'Qwan Tomlin and Larry Nance Jr. came in next at about the five-minute mark.

Like seeing Porter have two three-point attempts already. Just let 'em fly. 

A good job by Tyson of being a creator with Mitchell sitting. Nice pocket pass from Hunter to Allen on the flush as well. Won't be easy tonight without Garland and Mobley handling.

Cavs crushing LA on the O glass in the first quarter. Lakers getting behind Cleveland though on offense, as it's 16-6 in the paint battle so far. 

Hunter doing everything well right now except putting the ball through the net. Porter's had a good stint here, too. 

END 1Q: Lakers 28, Cavs 24

LAL: LaRavia 6p, 2a, stl. Vincent 6p, 1r. Ayton 4p, 3r, blk. James 4p, 2a, 1r. 

CLE: Allen 6p, 4r. Mitchell 5p. Tyson 3p, 2a, 1r. Hunter 2p, 3r, 2a. Porter 3p, 2stl, 1r.

SECOND QUARTER

Tyrese Proctor checks in to start the second. He had a welcome to the NBA moment there just now tussling with LeBron on the fastbreak.

Lakers have 17 bench points to the Cavs' seven, which is why LA's got a 35-26 lead right now.

The size discrepancy at all positions is noticeable. Cavs' offensive creation now is through second-chance rebounds and off stops and steals.

Cleveland on a run after, you guessed it, stops and steals. Lakers up 40-36 about midway through the second.

Props to JA. He's got 12 points and 7 boards, setting the high screens for all these guys in the first half. 

Honestly, this has turned out to be a pretty evenly matched first half with runs. Both sides missing a lot of shots at the rim, too.

The Lakers have run about 1,000 alley-oop pick-and-rolls with Luka, and the other offense has come from finding the mismatch on the block and posting.

LeBron was looking for a pump-fake bite to draw a three-ball foul on Donovan Mitchell, but instead caught him on the chin. Somehow, it was called a defensive foul. 

Cleveland trimmed the paint gap to 32-38, by the way.

Good half of ball. 

HALF: Cavs 57, Lakers 55

LAL: Doncic 15p, 5a, 3r. Vincent 9p, 2r, 1a. James 6p, 4a, 1r, stl. Ayton 6p, 4r, 1a, blk. Hayes 7p, 2r, 1a. 

CLE: Allen 13p, 8r, 1a. Tyson 13p, 4a, 2r. Mitchell 11p, 3a, 2r. Porter 7p, 2stl, 1r, a. Wade 5p, 5r, 2a, stl.

THIRD QUARTER

That Tyson behind-the-head pass to Allen for the finish didn't get nearly enough love here. That was NICE. 

Cavs bringing the juice out of the locker room. Mitchell with a couple of step-in treys from the same right elbow spot. Next time down, draws two and bounces a pass to Wade in the corner for a triple. Dean just hit another one from Merrill in the same spot. Good flow. Cavs open it up to 76-65.

JT is a DUDE.

Lakers on a 5-0 spurt after a Luka stepback three and LeBron transition finish. Tyson knew he shouldn't have gone for a cross-court pass and LaRavia picked it off. Cavs up 82-70 with 4:29 left in the third.

Thomas Bryant is in for the first time this game.

About 8 points in two minutes for Dre. He needed it.

Nae'Qwan pressured Luka so heavily that he got a steal at half court and took it the distance. Racehorse!

END 3Q: Cavs 99, Lakers 77

LAL: Doncic 29p, 6a, 5r. Vincent 11p, 2r, 1a. Ayton 10p, 4r, 2a, blk. James 8p, 5a, 2r, stl.

CLE: Tyson 20p, 6r, 6a, stl. Mitchell 19p, 4r, 3a. Allen 17p, 9r, 2a, stl. Wade 11p, 5r, 2a, stl. Hunter 13p, 3r, 1a, stl. Tomlin 6p, 4r, 3a, 2stl.

FOURTH QUARTER

Zo in the game now for the first time. Kenny Atkinson's gone 12 deep officially.

Now Dre can't miss haha.

Bron's got six turnovers. 

Qwan is EVERYWHERE tonight.

Cavs have this one well in hand. It's 108-80 with 8:23 left and Rocket Arena's clamoring for Bronny.