The Celtics and Cavaliers meet for the 2nd of 4 video games between them this season. The Celtics received the primary assembly 120-117 in Boston on November 19. They are going to meet once more in Cleveland on February 4 and in a last recreation in Boston on February 28. The Cavaliers had been undefeated and on a 15 recreation win streak when the Celtics defeated them in Boston and now they’ll attempt to return the favor and finish the Celtics 7 recreation win streak.
The Cavaliers are first within the Jap Convention. They’re 10-1 at dwelling and 13-3 towards Jap Convention opponents. They’re 7-3 of their final 10 video games. They’ve misplaced their final 2 video games, each towards the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics are 2nd within the East, simply half a recreation behind the Cavaliers. They’re 8-1 at dwelling and 13-2 towards Jap Convention opponents. They’re 8-2 of their final 10 video games and have received their final 7 video games.
The Celtics had been 2-1 final season with every staff profitable at dwelling. The Celtics are 140-87 total towards the Cavaliers all time and they’re 55-60 in video games performed in Boston. Cleveland has misplaced 3 of the final 5 that they’ve performed towards the Celtics. The Celtics are enjoying within the first of again to again video games and can face the Warmth at dwelling on Monday. They’re 2-1 on the primary evening of again to again video games to date this season. Each of the wins had been at dwelling and the loss was on the highway.
The Celtics performed on Friday, getting an NBA Cup win over the Chicago Bulls. After this recreation at Cleveland, they’ll return dwelling for a 5 recreation dwelling stand towards Miami, Detroit, Milwaukee, Memphis and Chicago. They then go to Chicago in a house and residential set after which journey to Orlando earlier than one other 4 recreation dwelling stand the place they host Philadelphia, Indiana twice, and Toronto.
After dwelling and residential losses to the Atlanta hawks the Cavaliers have a 3 recreation dwelling stand beginning with the Celtics after which Washington and Denver. They then play at Charlotte and Miami earlier than 3 extra at dwelling towards Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Utah. They then head out on the highway for a visit out West to tackle Denver, Golden State, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas.
After one recreation the place everybody was out there for the Celtics, they now have 4 gamers on the damage listing. Al Horford is questionable with a toe damage and Kristaps Porzingis is questionable because of knee damage administration. My guess is that Porzingis will play tonight and Horford will play towards the warmth on Monday, or vice versa. Jrue Vacation is questionable with adductor tightness. Lastly, Derrick White left Friday’s recreation with a foot damage and is questionable for this recreation. I’ve included the conventional starters as I don’t know who will play and who will probably be out.
The Cavaliers have 3 gamers on the damage listing. Dean Wade has missed 5 video games to date with an ankle sprain and is out for this recreation. Okoro ought to proceed to begin in his place. Former Celtic Max Strus has been dominated out this recreation with an ankle damage. Strus has but to make his 2024-25 regular-season debut. Emoni Bates can be out for this recreation with a knee damage.
Possible Celtics Starters
*(Jrue Vacation, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis are all questionable. At the moment, I’m undecided who will play and who would begin in the event that they don’t.)
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Luke Kornet
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
Sam Hauser
Baylor Scheierman
Neemias Queta
2 Approach Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson
Accidents/Out
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) questionable
Al Horford (toe) questionable
Jrue Vacation (groin) questionable
Derrick White (foot) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Possible Cavaliers Starters
Cavaliers Reserves
Ty Jerome
Caris LeVert
Georges Niang
Craig Porter, Jr
Tristan Thompson
Jaylon Tyson
Sam Merrill
2 Approach Gamers
Emoni Bates
JT Thor
Luke Travers
Accidents/Out
Max Strus (ankle) out
Dean Wade (ankle) out
Emoni Bates (knee) out
Head Coach
Kenny Atkinson
Key Matchups
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Derrick White
Picture by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe through Getty Pictures
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Donovan Mitchell
Picture by Jeff Haynes/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Derrick White vs Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell is averaging 24.1 factors, 4.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 45.1% from the sphere and 38.9% from past the arc. Within the first recreation towards the Celtics, Mitchell completed with 35 factors, 8 rebounds and three assists whereas taking pictures 44.8% from the sphere and 27.3% from past the arc. Slowing Mitchell down will probably be key to getting a win for the Celtics. Derrick White might or might not play on this one. If he’s out, I’m undecided who would begin, however I’d guess that Jaylen Brown would transfer to taking pictures guard if simply White is out. If 2 or extra gamers are out, I actually don’t know who Mazzulla will begin.
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Jrue Vacation
Picture By Winslow Townson/Getty Pictures
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Darius Garland
Picture by Michael Reaves/Getty Pictures
Jrue Vacation vs Darius Garland
Garland and Donovan have shaped an excellent backcourt for the Cavs. Garland is averaging 20.7 factors, 2.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He’s taking pictures 49.5% from the sphere and 44.2percentfrom past the arc. He was embarrassed within the first recreation towards the Celtics, ending with simply 8 factors,2 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal. He shot simply 14.3% from the sphere and didn’t hit a 3 pointer. Hopefully, the Celtics can as soon as once more gradual him down on this recreation. As soon as once more, I’m undecided if Jrue will play on this one or who would begin in his place if he’s out.
Honorable Point out
Jayson Tatum vs Evan Mobley
Mobley is averaging 18.2 factors, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steal and 1.5 blocks per recreation. He’s taking pictures 55.8% from the sphere and 32.4% from past the arc. Not like within the first 2 matchups, each of those gamers are anticipated to play. The Celtics have to attempt to preserve him out of the paint and off the boards.
Keys to the Sport
Protection – Protection is at all times a key to profitable video games. The Cavaliers are defensive staff with a 112.0 defensive ranking, which is twelfth within the league. The Celtics have a defensive ranking of 111.0, which is eighth within the league. Final season, the Celtics had been 1st and the Cavaliers had been eleventh with principally the identical rosters. The Celtics should get again to creating protection a precedence they usually should play that powerful protection for 48 minutes and never let up. The Celtics should particularly defend the Cavs on the perimeter as they’re tops within the league, taking pictures 40.2% as a staff on threes. The Cavs are going to play powerful protection and so the Celtics might want to match or exceed their defensive depth.
Rebound – Subsequent to protection, rebounding is the largest key to profitable. A lot of rebounding is effort and want and when the Celtics put out the additional effort on the boards, it normally carries by way of to the remainder of their recreation. The Celtics are averaging 43.3 rebounds per recreation (18th) whereas the Cavs are averaging 42.9 rebounds per recreation (twenty first). Final season, with principally the identical roster, the Celtics had been 2nd with 46.7 rebounds per recreation. The Celtics should work tougher to seize rebounds and to field out the Cavaliers on the boards. Of their first assembly, the Celtics out-rebounded the Cavs 42-41. They should do a good higher job on the boards on this one.
Factors within the Paint – The Celtics have struggled to maintain opponents from scoring within the paint. The Celtics are twenty seventh within the league, permitting 53.1 factors within the paint per recreation. Cleveland is seventh, permitting simply 44.8 factors within the paint whereas being The Celtics have to particularly defend the paint towards the Cavaliers as they’re 4th in scoring within the paint with 53.2 factors within the paint per recreation. The Cavs are fifth averaging 54.4 factors within the paint together with taking pictures a league finest share from past the arc. The Celtics should shield the paint and restrict the Cavs from scoring there.
Effort and Focus for 48 Minutes – The Celtics want to remain targeted for 48 minutes. They should play with further effort. The Cavs play laborious and so the Celtics have to match that effort and play even tougher. The staff that performs tougher and is extra aggressive is normally the staff that comes out on prime and that additionally will get the higher whistle. The Celtics even have to remain targeted. They should deal with taking good pictures and making them and on enjoying as a staff and making the suitable play each time. Additionally they should preserve that effort and focus up for 48 minutes with no let up and no collapse. The Celtics effort and focus have been lacking in some video games and they should come into this recreation targeted and able to play tougher than the Cavaliers.
X-Elements
On the Street – The Celtics are enjoying on the highway and might want to keep targeted despite the distractions of journey and enjoying in entrance of a hostile crowd. Cavs followers actually don’t just like the Celtics and can probably be loud and antagonistic. They should come into this recreation targeted and able to play tougher than the Cavs, whatever the venue.
Accidents – It goes with out saying that if certainly one of extra of Vacation, White, Horford and Porzingis are out, the Celtics have a a lot tougher highway to get a win. Particularly, if multiple are out, that makes each the entrance court docket and the again court docket each a bit skinny. The Celtics may have as many as 3 starters out and so everybody should decide up their recreation and play tougher and smarter with the intention to fill in for the gamers who’re out.
Officiating – The officiating is at all times an x-factor. Generally a crew will name the sport tight and blow a whistle on each play. Different instances they’ll allow them to play and let the sport get bodily. The Celtics want to regulate to the way in which the sport known as and never let missed calls or dangerous calls have an effect on their focus. If the calls are dangerous, they only have to play tougher to make up for them and never waste time arguing with the officers.
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