Preview: Celtics Travel to Cleveland to Take On Cavs
Creator: Brian Babineau | Credit: NBAE via Getty Images | Copyright: 2021 NBAE
Boston is looking to bounce back strong tonight after a tough loss to the Utah Jazz. They’ll take on the Cleveland Cavaliers who have dropped their last three games by 15 or more points.
The Cavs have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league this year. Outside of young standout Collin Sexton, the team has struggled to remain efficient. Sexton is averaging 23.7 points and 4.2 assists a night. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen have also been having solid seasons alongside him. Andre Drummond is perhaps the most interesting player on the Cavaliers, but not because of his play. It has been rumored that he will soon be available in the buyout market, if not traded before the deadline. The most likely destinations are the Lakers or Nets, but not everyone has ruled out the Celtics. As mentioned, the Cavs have struggled in a major way on the offensive side of the ball this season. They average a league-low 103.3 points a night and are bottom seven in both field goal percentage and three-point percentage.
Boston, on the other hand, has had some struggles of their own. While they did have that massive blowout against the Rockets, they have had tons of issues closing out games. In the recent games they’ve played against the Nets and Jazz they were in striking distance but couldn’t quite close the gap. They had stretches where they looked really good in both games, but in the end, they just collapsed. This has been a problem all season, and it’s something the team needs to fix soon if they want to compete in the playoffs.
This will be night two of a back-to-back, which means Kemba Walker will not be playing. The real question is whether or not the Celtics decide to sit Marcus Smart as well for rest purposes. Romeo Langford remains out, and Tristan Thompson will most likely be out, too. The Cavs’ injury report lists Kevin Love, Matthew Dellevadova, and Taurean Prince as out. Andre Drummond has also not been playing as the team looks for trade partners for the big man.
Make sure to tune in to our live pregame show, the Banner Town Build Up, 30 minutes before the game on YouTube and Twitter @GuyBostonSports. The Celtics tip-off against the Cavs at 8:00 PM EST on NBC Sports Boston.
