Cleveland Cavaliers vs San Antonio Spurs live stream
Jan 21, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Spurs won 118-115. USA TODAY Sports/Ken Blaze

San Antonio Spurs (56-16) will host the Cleveland Cavaliers (47-27) in a nationally televised, inter-conference heavyweight match Monday at the AT&T Center. The Cavs, on the brink of surrendering the top seed to Boston Celtics, has lost seven of its last 10 games and is fresh off a 127-115 home defeat against the Washington Wizards.

The Spurs, still two-and-a-half games behind the Golden State Warriors (59-14), will have a last-dash opportunity this week to claim the No. 1 seed before the end of the regular season. After hosting the Cavs, the Spurs stay at home to face the Warriors on Wednesday before a weekend showdown against the Utah Jazz. Gregg Popovich's team could make a significant statement with victories against the Warriors and Cavs, the two teams that are primed to meet for a third consecutive time in June's NBA Finals.

On March 25, the Spurs extended its winning streak to four games after handling the New York Knicks 106-98 at home. While Kawhi Leonard bolstered his MVP case with a 29-point performance, the front court duo of Pau Gasol (19 points, 11 rebounds) and LaMarcus Aldridge (19 points, 10 rebounds) registered double-doubles. With Aldridge back from a heart condition scare, and the likes of Tony Parker and Gasol returning to full fitness, the Spurs will be a force to reckon with during next month's playoffs.

With exactly 10 games left in the regular season, Gasol is hoping that the team can iron out any weaknesses before the playoffs, while also challenging the Warriors for the top seed. "These (last 10 games) are opportunities for us to get ready and to see where we are at. At this point, we just have to build the right habits so when we start our playoff run we are ready to go, we are sharp and we are locked in and we know what we are playing for," the Spaniard said ahead of Monday's game, via ESPN.

Meanwhile, the Cavs, the reigning NBA champion, has emerged as one of the worst defensive units in the league. It is currently ranked at the bottom third of the league in defensive efficiency, allowing teams to score 70 points within the first half on several occasions over the past month. LeBron James is urging his teammates to develop a defensive mindset this late into the regular season.

"We just got to figure it out and continue to see what fits our group, see what fits our lineup, see what fits our team as a whole and what's going to give us the best shot to win each and every game. Like I said, you can't base last year on this year. This year is different. Every year is different, so I think our coaching staff will figure that out for us," James said after Saturday's 127-115 home loss to the Washington Wizards.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs San Antonio Spurs live stream: How to watch

Start time: 8:00 p.m. (ET), 5:00 p.m. (PT), 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday (AEST), 11:00 a.m. (AEDT)
On TV: TNT (USA), ESPN (Australia)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass (Global), WatchESPN (Australia), WatchTNT (USA)

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