Pregame: Cavs vs. Pacers

Cleveland Cavaliers (8-40) at Indiana Pacers (18-27)
Time: 7 p.m.; Venue: Quicken Loans Arena; TV/Radio: FS Ohio/WAKR

Cavs probable starters: PG Ramon Sessions, SG Manny Harris, SF Christian Eyenga, PF Antawn Jamison, C J.J. Hickson
Pacers probable starters: PG Darren Collison, SG Mike Dunleavy, SF Danny Granger, PF Josh McRoberts, C Greg Hibbard
Officials: Dick Bavetta, Curtis Blair, Tony Brown
Injury report: Cavs -- Daniel Gibson (quad) questionable, Leon Powe (knee) out, Anderson Varejao (ankle) out, Mo Williams (hip) out; Pacers -- Brandon Rush (ankle) out.

Notes
* Daniel Gibson will miss his second consecutive game with a bruised leg. Gibson had wanted to try to play tonight, but coach Byron Scott wants to get all the swelling and bruising out of there. If he can't get back in time for Memphis on Friday, he should be back for Saturday's home game against Portland.

* The Pacers have played only one game under interim coach Frank Vogel, but Scott noticed a different style of play in their win over Toronto on Monday. Whereas former coach Jim O'Brien was stringent in discipline and calling nearly every play, Scott noticed a team with a little more freedom to run. Indianapolis Star beat writer Mike Wells noticed an emphasis on getting Roy Hibbert set up deeper in the post and a ton of pick-and-rolls with point guard Darren Collison.

* That's all bad news for the Cavs. J.J. Hickson struggled keeping Andrew Bogut out of the paint, but did a little better job defending Dwight Howard. He'll again be outsized by the 7-foot Hibbert, although Hibbert isn't the polished offensive player that Bogut and Howard both are. As for Collison, Scott coached him as a rookie early last season in New Orleans and believes he is one of the fastest point guards in the league. Ramon Sessions is playing with a hernia and has struggled to stay in front of quicker guards on the perimeter.

* The Pacers play an aggressive, physical style, Scott said. They set a ton of good screens and make opponents fight through them.

* The Pacers knew this winter blast was coming, so they flew directly from Toronto to Cleveland after their game Monday night to avoid any traffic delays. Since they're already in town, it's unlikely the game would be cancelled due to weather.

* Scott was pleased to see a number of players arrive about 30 minutes early for this morning's shootaround. The last time Cleveland was hit with a blizzard and the Cavs in town, quite a few players didn't get to the arena until 45 minutes before game time.

* In case you forgot, the Cavs have lost 21 in a row. Tonight represents the best chance at breaking the skid before it becomes historic.