CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (3-4) 127, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (4-3) 125, 2 OT
Quicken Loans Arena
Saturday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: The Cavs desperately needed to win this game, no matter what Coach Mike Brown said in postgame.

They've struggled on the road this year, as their 0-4 record away from The Q attests. They go on the road for two rugged contests in Chicago and Minnesota on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. They didn't want to return from that trip 2-7.

"It's been an interesting beginning to the season," Brown said. "While we're going through all (this), we're expected to win games. This had nothing to do with Chicago and Minnesota coming up. We were trying to get a win. That didn't put any more of a sense of urgency to win the game."

The Cavs prevailed over the Sixers on Saturday in a battle of the fittest. 

Talk about the Cavs being a playoff team might have been premature. Just because one wants to be in the playoffs doesn't make one a playoff team. This team hasn't shown that it's a team capable of playing in the postseason.

They have talent, of course, but they've got to shore up several areas in order to be one of the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference.

Let's cite some of their problems:

-- Their production out of their small forwards has been a joke. Starter Earl Clark and backup Alonzo Gee can't shoot a lick. At least Gee recognizes this and doesn't hoist up a lot of shots. Clark doesn't. He continues to shoot - and miss. He has no touch on his shot, especially from 3-point range. He was benched on Saturday, and never got off the bench.

-- Center Andrew Bynum is struggling in a backup role. He's not capable right now of dominating the center position. Since it's the tail end of a back-to-back set, he's not expected to play tonight.

-- Rookie forward Anthony Bennett returned to the lineup on Saturday after straining his shoulder on Friday. He missed his only shot and is now 1 of 21 on the season.

UP NEXT: The Cavs travel to Chicago at 8 p.m. Monday at United Center.

STARTERS

SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Evan Turner (6-7, 216)

PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 236) vs. Thaddeus Young (6-8, 230)
C Anderson Varejao (6-11, 267) vs. Spencer Hawes (7-1, 245)

SG Dion Waiters (6-4, 225) vs. James Anderson (6-6, 210)

PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 193) vs. Michael Carter-Williams (6-6, 185)

INACTIVE LIST

Cavs - C Andrew Bynum, G Carrick Felix

Sixers - C Nerlens Noel, F/C Arnett Moultrie, G Jason Richardson
OFFICIALS

Sean Wright, Matt Boland, Leroy Richardson