Cleveland Cavaliers' Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for February

January was all about the Cleveland Cavaliers hanging in there while LeBron James got some rest. With James back and the Cavs rolling, February is all about rising above the Eastern Conference's fifth seed.

Winners of 10 straight games, the Cavaliers face a favorable second month of the year. Seven of Cleveland's 11 upcoming opponents are below .500 this season. After wrapping up a five-game week to finish January, the Cavs will face weekly totals of just three, three, one and four contests.

Outside of James and Kyrie Irving, all other Cavaliers will get to enjoy seven days off from Feb. 13 through Feb. 19 due to the All-Star break.

Thanks to a refreshed James and the additions of Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, the new-look Cavaliers appear ready to roll through the regular season.

If all stay healthy, this should easily be Cleveland's best month to date.

Feb. 1 Through Feb. 7

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Key Matchup: Feb. 5 vs. Los Angeles Clippers (33-15)

The Cavs and Clips have split their season series thus far, with Cleveland recently leaving the Staples Center with a 126-121 victory on Jan. 16.

That win marked the first over a quality opponent during their current streak, and it was especially impressive considering Kevin Love was out with back spasms.

Los Angeles has the second-best record of any team that Cleveland will face all month. It boasts the league's third-best offense (106.9 points per game) and is 8-2 over the past 10 contests. The combination of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin is always a handful, and DeAndre Jordan leads all players in rebounding (13.5) and field-goal percentage (73.1) and is second in blocks (2.48).

The good news for the Cavaliers? The Clippers' perimeter defense has been poor all season. James went for 32 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in their last meeting.

Following a pair of days off, the Cavs should be rested and ready to extend their win streak against the Clips.

Other Games:

Feb. 2 vs. Philadelphia 76ers (10-38)

Feb. 6 at Indiana Pacers (17-32)

Cleveland gift-wrapped the Sixers' first home win back on Jan. 5, blowing a 17-point second-half lead. It was the same night Dion Waiters was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Cavaliers were also without James (rest) and Kyrie Irving (back), and they were forced to start a wing of Matthew Dellavedova, Mike Miller and rookie Joe Harris.

Now with a heavily upgraded roster and revenge on their minds, the Cavs should have no problem taking down the 10-win Sixers at Quicken Loans Arena.

Following a home game against the Clippers, the Cavaliers fly to Indiana to take on the Pacers for the first time since November.

Indiana is 2-8 in its last 10 games and has predictably struggled to score without Paul George this season. Its 95.0 points a game ranks just 26th in the league. This should be closer than most would expect, given the Cavaliers' tough game the night before, but Cleveland will ultimately come away with the W.

Record: 3-0

Wins: Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers

Losses: None

Feb. 8 Through Feb. 19

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Key Matchup: Feb. 12 at Chicago Bulls (30-19)

This could be the game that finally ends the Cavs' win streak.

While Cleveland is 2-0 against the Bulls this season, it'll be coming off a big home game against the Miami Heat. Chicago will undoubtedly have some extra motivation after being beat by 14 points (although it seemed like more) by the Cavaliers on Jan. 19.

Chicago was without Jimmy Butler or Joakim Noah during its first two meetings with Cleveland, but is currently at full strength.

After what could be a franchise-best 15-game win streak, the Cavs will finally drop their first contest in the season series with the Bulls.

Other Games:

Feb. 8 vs. Los Angeles Lakers (13-35)

Feb. 11. vs. Miami Heat (21-26)

Cleveland should get win No. 14 in a row against the team that started it all. Ever since coach David Blatt took the Cavs bowling at a L.A. alley on Jan. 14, they have yet to lose.

The Lakers are a hot mess right now. Kobe Bryant is done for the season following shoulder surgery, no one plays defense (106.2 points allowed) and the team has dropped 10 of its past 11 games. The Cavaliers should take care of business.

The Cavs get a prime-time, ESPN-televised matchup against the Heat on Wednesday before heading to Chicago. Miami took down the Cavaliers on Christmas Day, even without All-Star forward Chris Bosh.

This should turn out to be very close, as the Heat will still carry some extra motivation in any contest against James. With the team fighting just to make the Eastern Conference playoffs, this will likely resemble a postseason atmosphere for both Miami and Cleveland.

Record: 2-1

Wins: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat

Losses: Chicago Bulls

Feb. 20 Through Feb. 28

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Key Matchup: Feb. 26 at Golden State Warriors (37-8)

The Warriors stand as the Cavaliers' only home opponent during a seven-game stretch. Golden State currently holds the best record in the NBA, and are 1-0 against the Cavs already this season.

In their previous meeting, Cleveland actually played the W's pretty close despite not having James in the lineup. The Cavs were within five points in the fourth quarter of what turned out to be a 112-94 loss on Jan. 9.

The Warriors have been so successful this season due to their dominance on both sides of the ball. Golden State ranks first in scoring (110.8 points) and defensive rating (100.2). Stephen Curry is a MVP candidate, and Draymond Green could wind up as Defensive Player of the Year.

Cleveland will need a complete game to take down the Warriors, and coming off a soft schedule leading up to the matchup, the team should take home a nail-biting win.

 

Other Games:

Feb. 20 at Washington Wizards (31-17)

Feb. 22 at New York Knicks (10-38)

Feb. 24 at Detroit Pistons (18-30)

Feb. 27 at Indiana Pacers (17-32)

Following a week-long hiatus for the All-Star break, a road meeting with the Wizards is extremely dangerous. Washington is 18-7 at the Verizon Center this year, tied for the second-best home record in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland will need a game to get back into a groove, and it will lose a tough one against the Wizards.

The Cavaliers continue their brief road trip against the Knicks and Pistons, both of whom are on the outside of the playoffs looking in. Detroit looked unstoppable after releasing Josh Smith in December, but it has cooled off since losing Brandon Jennings for the season with an Achilles injury.

New York is a respectable 5-5 in its last 10 games, yet it still ranks near the bottom of the East. These should be two easy wins for Cleveland.

For the second time in February, the Cavaliers travel to Indianapolis. This should be another tight contest, again following a big game in Cleveland the night before. Escaping with a victory, no matter how slim, will be considered a success.

 

Record: 4-1

Wins: New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers

Losses: Washington Wizards

February Recap

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A month ago, the Cavaliers were limping into January.

Their star player was sidelined, rumors about Blatt losing the team were popping up and a daunting western road trip loomed.

Now, things couldn't look much better.

James is playing his best basketball of the year, the team is starting to dig in on defense and the new additions are paying off. Cleveland will look to push its 10-game win streak as far as it will go, which should pass the franchise-record 13 straight victories.

While the Cavaliers look to make history, their main concern should be a rise in the Eastern Conference standings. Currently fifth, we could see a rise to third (two and a half games behind Washington) before the month is over.

Overall Record: 9-2

Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers for Bleacher Report since 2010.

All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.