The Celtics and Cavaliers meet for the 2nd of 4 video games between them this season. The Celtics gained the primary assembly 120-117 in Boston on November 19. They may meet once more in Cleveland on February 4 and in a remaining sport in Boston on February 28. The Cavaliers had been undefeated and on a 15 sport win streak when the Celtics defeated them in Boston and now they may attempt to return the favor and finish the Celtics 7 sport win streak.
The Cavaliers are first within the Japanese Convention. They’re 10-1 at residence and 13-3 towards Japanese 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 sport behind the Cavaliers. They’re 8-1 at residence and 13-2 towards Japanese Convention opponents. They’re 8-2 of their final 10 video games and have gained their final 7 video games.
The Celtics had been 2-1 final season with every group profitable at residence. 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 residence on Monday. They’re 2-1 on the primary evening of again to again video games thus far this season. Each of the wins had been at residence and the loss was on the street.
The Celtics performed on Friday, getting an NBA Cup win over the Chicago Bulls. After this sport at Cleveland, they may return residence for a 5 sport residence 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 sport residence stand the place they host Philadelphia, Indiana twice, and Toronto.
After residence and residential losses to the Atlanta hawks the Cavaliers have a 3 sport residence stand beginning with the Celtics after which Washington and Denver. They then play at Charlotte and Miami earlier than 3 extra at residence towards Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Utah. They then head out on the street for a visit out West to tackle Denver, Golden State, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas.
After one sport the place everybody was accessible for the Celtics, they now have 4 gamers on the damage checklist. Al Horford is questionable with a toe damage and Kristaps Porzingis is questionable as a consequence 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 sport with a foot damage and is questionable for this sport. 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 checklist. Dean Wade has missed 5 video games thus far with an ankle sprain and is out for this sport. Okoro ought to proceed to begin in his place. Former Celtic Max Strus has been dominated out this sport with an ankle damage. Strus has but to make his 2024-25 regular-season debut. Emoni Bates can also be out for this sport with a knee damage.
Possible Celtics Starters
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*(Jrue Vacation, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis are all questionable. Right now, I’m unsure who will play and who would begin in the event that they don’t.)
Celtics ReservesPayton PritchardLuke KornetJaden SpringerXavier Tillman, SrJordan WalshSam HauserBaylor ScheiermanNeemias Queta
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Accidents/OutKristaps Porzingis (ankle) questionableAl Horford (toe) questionableJrue Vacation (groin) questionableDerrick White (foot) questionable
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Cavaliers Starters
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Cavaliers ReservesTy JeromeCaris LeVertGeorges NiangCraig Porter, JrTristan ThompsonJaylon TysonSam Merrill
2 Means Gamers Emoni Bates JT ThorLuke Travers
Accidents/Out Max Strus (ankle) outDean 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 by way of Getty Photographs
Donovan Mitchell
Picture by Jeff Haynes/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs
Derrick White vs Donovan MitchellMitchell is averaging 24.1 factors, 4.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per sport. He’s capturing 45.1% from the sector and 38.9% from past the arc. Within the first sport towards the Celtics, Mitchell completed with 35 factors, 8 rebounds and three assists whereas capturing 44.8% from the sector 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 unsure who would begin, however I’d guess that Jaylen Brown would transfer to capturing 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 Photographs
Darius Garland
Picture by Michael Reaves/Getty Photographs
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 sport. He’s capturing 49.5% from the sector and 44.2percentfrom past the arc. He was embarrassed within the first sport towards the Celtics, ending with simply 8 factors,2 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal. He shot simply 14.3% from the sector and didn’t hit a 3 pointer. Hopefully, the Celtics can as soon as once more sluggish him down on this sport. As soon as once more, I’m unsure if Jrue will play on this one or who would begin in his place if he’s out.
Honorable MentionJayson Tatum vs Evan MobleyMobley is averaging 18.2 factors, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steal and 1.5 blocks per sport. He’s capturing 55.8% from the sector and 32.4% from past the arc. Not like within the first 2 matchups, each of those gamers are anticipated to play. The Celtics must 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 a very good defensive group with a 112.0 defensive score, which is twelfth within the league. The Celtics have a defensive score 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 must 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, capturing 40.2% as a group 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 to the remainder of their sport. The Celtics are averaging 43.3 rebounds per sport (18th) whereas the Cavs are averaging 42.9 rebounds per sport (twenty first). Final season, with principally the identical roster, the Celtics had been 2nd with 46.7 rebounds per sport. The Celtics should work more durable 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 an excellent 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 sport. Cleveland is seventh, permitting simply 44.8 factors within the paint whereas being The Celtics must particularly defend the paint towards the Cavaliers as they’re 4th in scoring within the paint with 53.2 factors within the paint per sport. The Cavs are fifth averaging 54.4 factors within the paint together with capturing a league greatest 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 must play with additional effort. The Cavs play exhausting and so the Celtics must match that effort and play even more durable. The group that performs more durable and is extra aggressive is normally the group that comes out on prime and that additionally will get the higher whistle. The Celtics even have to remain targeted. They must give attention to taking good pictures and making them and on enjoying as a group and making the correct play each time. In addition they must 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 sport targeted and able to play more durable than the Cavaliers.
X-Components On the Street – The Celtics are enjoying on the street and might want to keep targeted regardless of the distractions of journey and enjoying in entrance of a hostile crowd. Cavs followers actually don’t just like the Celtics and can seemingly be loud and antagonistic. They should come into this sport targeted and able to play more durable than the Cavs, whatever the venue.
Accidents – It goes with out saying that if one among extra of Vacation, White, Horford and Porzingis are out, the Celtics have a a lot more durable street to get a win. Particularly, if a couple of are out, that makes each the entrance court docket and the again court docket each a bit skinny. The Celtics might have as many as 3 starters out and so everybody should decide up their sport and play more durable and smarter in an effort 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 may allow them to play and let the sport get bodily. The Celtics want to regulate to the way in which the sport is named and never let missed calls or unhealthy calls have an effect on their focus. If the calls are unhealthy, they simply must play more durable to make up for them and never waste time arguing with the officers.
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