The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting ready to take on the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for their second matchup this season. The first time these two met was back on November 19 at TD Garden. The Cavs came into that game undefeated at 15-0, but the Celtics spoiled their streak with a tight 120-117 win. Since then, the Cavs bounced back with a couple of wins, but the Atlanta Hawks have been a thorn in their side, beating them twice—once on November 27 and again on November 29. Even with those losses, the Cavs are still sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 17-3 record.
Meanwhile, the Celtics have been excellent, sitting right behind Cleveland with a 16-3 record. They are now on a seven-game winning streak after their recent 138-129 win against the Chicago Bulls. Historically, Boston’s had the upper hand in this rivalry, winning 140 out of their 227 regular-season games. It’s shaping up to be another thrilling showdown between two of the East’s best teams!
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics: Prediction
The Cavaliers are performing at a high level offensively, leading the league with an average of 122.4 points per game. Defensively, though, they’ve been more average, allowing 112.6 points per game, which ranks them 15th in the NBA. When it comes to rebounding, Cleveland is on the lower end, with 42.9 rebounds per game, placing them 21st. They give up 43.1 rebounds to opponents, which is 10th. On the bright side, the Cavaliers are dominating from beyond the arc, shooting an impressive 40.2% from three-point range, the best in the league. They’re also hitting 15.2 threes per game, good for 6th place.
The Celtics are also strong on offense, averaging 121.2 points per game, placing them second in the NBA. Defensively, they’ve been good, allowing 110.6 points per game, which ranks 9th. On the glass, Boston pulls down 43.3 rebounds per game, which is 17th in the league, while they allow 43.7, placing them 14th. The Celtics are by far the best team in the league when it comes to making three-pointers, averaging 19.2 per game. They also sit in 8th place for three-point percentage, hitting 37.8% of their attempts.
Also Read: Ranking All 30 NBA Teams After Week 5 Games
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics: Probable Starting Lineups
Cleveland Cavaliers
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PG: Darius Garland
SG: Donovan Mitchell
SF: Isaac Okoro
PF: Evan Mobley
C: Jarrett Allen
Boston Celtics
PG Jrue Holiday
SG Payton Pritchard
SF Jaylen Brown
PF Jayson Tatum
C Kristaps Porzingis
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics: Injury Updates
Caris LeVert is back with the Cavs after sitting out for a bit due to a knee injury. He played 20 minutes in their game against the Hawks and should be ready for Sunday’s matchup. Dean Wade, however, is still sidelined with an ankle sprain he picked up a couple of weeks ago. Emoni Bates, JT Thor, and Luke Travers are also away on G-League assignments, so they’re not with the team at the moment.
Over with the Celtics, they got hit with some bad news after their win over the Bulls. Derrick White had to leave the game in the third quarter because of an injury, and Coach Mazzulla confirmed that White won’t be making the trip to Cleveland. On top of that, the Celtics will also be without JD Davison, Anton Watson, and Luke Kornet. Davison and Watson are on G-League duty, and Kornet is dealing with a hamstring strain.
