Tonight, an NBA group’s double-digit win streak will come to an finish.
The 31-4 Cleveland Cavaliers (10 straight wins) will host the 30-5 Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (15 straight wins) in a battle of convention leaders, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Mitchell will go head-to-head for the primary time this marketing campaign.
For Celtics followers, the competition serves as a measuring stick. Which of those two juggernauts is able to compete for the title?
Each have already defeated Boston this season. After the Celtics handed the Cavaliers their first lack of the season on November nineteenth, Cleveland responded by besting the Celtics, 115-111, on December 1st. The Thunder and Celtics had their first encounter this previous Sunday, the place Oklahoma Metropolis overcame Boston’s double-digit third quarter lead and emerged victorious, 105-92.
Regardless of these disappointing displaying from the Celtics, their standing as defending NBA champions nonetheless has them garnering recognition as this 12 months’s title favorites. Whereas they might not end with the primary seed, they’ve proven they will win on the highest stage. Nevertheless, these two groups are viable threats to Boston’s hope of repeating as champs. If the Celtics confronted both of these groups in a seven-game sequence, how do they match up?
Starting with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics would probably nonetheless be thought-about the favorites in a possible playoff sequence. They defeated the Cavs in final 12 months’s playoffs, 4-1, with very related rosters for each groups. The most important change is within the type of Cleveland’s new coach, Kenny Atkinson, who has the Cavaliers in a significantly better place than this time final 12 months. Moreover, Jarrett Allen sat out for that complete sequence, whereas Donovan Mitchell missed the ultimate two video games. The Celtics had been with out Kristaps Porzingis.
Matchup-wise, this might be a grueling sequence for Boston. The Celtics at present rank 18th in opposing factors within the paint. Cleveland’s beginning lineup contains each Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, two gamers who can pose critical threats within the put up. Donovan Mitchell averages 30.2 factors per recreation in opposition to the Celtics, a sizeable soar from his profession price of 24.2 factors per recreation.
A Thunder-Celtics sequence is way more troublesome to foretell. The face of their franchise, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is a real MVP candidate who’s third within the league in factors per recreation. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has solely confronted the Celtics twice within the final two seasons. In each video games, the Thunder received at residence. Oklahoma Metropolis continues to enhance and is but to play a recreation totally wholesome. Chet Holmgren is recovering from a hip damage, and Isaiah Hartenstein missed a bit of video games originally of the season. The Thunder lead the league in defensive ranking and web ranking. Between their perennial MVP candidate, nice teaching, elite protection, and talent to resist accidents, it’s arduous to select any group to beat them proper now.
Whereas it might look grim on paper, the Celtics have a definite benefit in a class that goes past the stat sheet. The hole in expertise between Boston and both of those groups is gigantic. In addition to the apparent issue of simply successful a championship, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have performed collectively in two finals sequence and 5 Japanese Convention finals. Jrue Vacation has two championships. Al Horford has been within the league for 17 years. Cleveland has two gamers (Max Strus and Tristan Thompson) who’ve been to the finals, whereas Oklahoma Metropolis has one (Alex Caruso).
Moreover, it’s doable that the Celtics report displays a “championship hangover” impact. It’s arduous to keep up motivation for all 82 video games of an NBA season, which might clarify why the Celtics have dropped greater than that they had at this level final 12 months.
Regardless, it’s very probably that Boston must run via one or each of those groups to be able to elevate Banner 19 on subsequent season’s opening evening. Tonight supplies an excellent alternative to see which one is extra prepared for the duty of defeating the defending champions.
