Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s NBA clash between Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, including predictions, team news and form guide.
Fresh off the back of becoming just the fourth team in NBA history to win their first 15 games of the season, the high-flying Cleveland Cavaliers visit the TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics in the Emirates NBA Cup on Tuesday.
This is the first chance to see how they stack up with the reigning NBA champions, whom they fell short against in the playoffs last season, losing 4-1 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals back in May.
Match preview
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Jayson Tatum hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in overtime to inspire the Boston Celtics to a 126-124 victory over a spirited Toronto Raptors side at the TD Garden on Saturday night.
Seeking to end their six-game losing streak and secure their first road win since April, Jakob Poeltl tallied a game-high 35 points while RJ Barrett dropped 25 to keep Toronto in the contest but Jaylen Brown‘s 27 and Tatum’s 24 saw the Celtics rally to a hard-fought victory.
Before that, Boston were denied a dream start to the 2024-25 NBA Emirates Cup as they fell 117-116 against the Atlanta Hawks last Wednesday before bouncing back in a dominant 139-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center.
Joe Mazzulla‘s men are now 11-3 this season as they sit second in the Eastern Conference standings, only behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, who boast a perfect record after the first 15 matches.
While the Boston Celtics will look to get their NBA Cup campaign up and running on Tuesday, they will need to be at their best against a vengeful Cleveland Cavaliers side, who lost 4-1 in their Eastern Conference semi-final clash in the playoffs back in May.
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The Cavs continued to ride high in the new NBA campaign as they brushed aside the Charlotte Hornets 128-114 when the two sides met at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday night.
In the absence of floor general Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland dropped a team-high 25 points to finish as one of four Cleveland players with 20+ points, marking just the second time that Cleveland have had four 20-point scorers in back-to-back matches in franchise history.
Jarret Allen and Evans Mobley also recorded their 10th and fifth double-double of the season respectively while Ty Jerome put in a solid shift as he knocked down a career-high 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field.
This came off the back of kicking off the 2024-25 NBA Emirates Cup with a dominant 144-126 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, when Mitchell knocked down a season-high 37 points to sink the Bulls.
With Monday’s result, the Cleveland Cavaliers have now become just the fourth team in NBA history to win each of their first 15 games to start the season, joining the Golden State Warriors (2016), Washington Capitol (1949) and Houston Rockets (1994).
Already making his mark in the league, first-year coach Kenny Atkinson has been key in the Cavs’ blistering start to the campaign, and while the 2024-25 season is only one month in, Cleveland have already stamped their name as genuine championship contenders.
Boston Celtics form:
Cleveland Cavaliers form:
Team News
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The Boston Celtics remain without the services of center Kristaps Porzingis, who is expected to return to action in December after sustaining a severe foot injury back in June.
Veteran guard Jrue Holiday missed Saturday’s matchup against the Raptors through a knee problem and the 34-year-old, who had featured in each of the first 13 games to start the season, is considered day-to-day heading into Tuesday’s clash.
The Cleveland Cavaliers barely missed a beat on Sunday in the absence of Mitchell, who is averaging 24.6 points per game this season, but the 28-year-old should return for the trip to the TD Garden.
Max Strus has been ruled out since sustaining an ankle injury in pre-season while forward Emoni Bates remains sidelined after undergoing surgery over a torn meniscus in his right knee in October.
Isaac Okoro was forced off injured after just 13 minutes against the Hornets on Sunday due to a sprained ankle while Dean Wade is considered day-to-day after also picking up an ankle injury against Charlotte.
Boston Celtics possible starting 5:
White, Hauser, Horford, Brown, Tatum
Cleveland Cavaliers possible starting 5:
Garland, Mitchell, Allen, Jerome, Mobley
We say: Boston Celtics to win by 3+ points
The Cleveland Cavaliers have flown out of the blocks this season but they now face arguably their toughest challenge in a stacked and well-drilled Boston Celtics side. While Atkinson’s side will aim to further highlight their title credentials against the reigning champions, we predict that the Celtics will hand them their first defeat of the season at TD Garden.
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