Expert Predictions for Celtics NBA Cup Clash with Undefeated Cavaliers

The 15-0 Cavaliers head to TD Garden to face the reigning NBA champs.

May 15, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) drives the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) in the third quarter during game five of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

On Tuesday night, the 15-0 Cleveland Cavaliers will head to TD Garden to face the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics (11-3) on their home turf.

Both clubs are members of Emirates NBA Cup East Group C, along with the Atlanta Hawks (2-0 in group play), plus the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls (0-1). Cleveland has gone 1-0, while Boston lost its lone NBA Cup game thus far this year, a 117-116 decision against the Hawks.

The action tips off nationally via TNT. This will be the two teams' first meeting of the 2024-25 season.

Boston last year was the class of the Eastern Conference, posting a dominant 64-18 record in the regular season (14 games better than the No. 2-seeded New York Knicks) and running through the East in a 12-2 run to the NBA Finals. That run included a semifinal encounter with the No. 4-seeded Cavaliers, who finished the 2023-24 season with a 48-34 record. The Celtics pulverized the Cavaliers in a one-sided, 4-1 series. All-Star Cleveland shooting guard Donovan Mitchell missed the final two contests of the series with an injury.

This year's iteration of the Cavaliers appears to be vastly improved under new head coach Kenny Atkinson. Darius Garland, who missed much of his team's 2023-24 tilt and apparently explored a trade demand this summer, has apparently worked out something of an on-court truce with Mitchell: Mitchell is the club's offensive leader for its first three quarters, while Garland serves as its clutch closer.

All-Defensive power forward Evan Mobley and All-Star center Jarrett Allen continue to form a jumbo-sized, defense-first frontcourt. Role players like Ty Jerome and Caris LeVert have really rounded into form, too. Well-traveled journeyman Ty Jerome has seemingly emerged from out of nowhere to become a critical bench piece. He's averaging a career-high 10.7 points on .594/.541/.840 shooting splits (tied with his first season on the Oklahoma City Thunder, 2020-21), 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals, plus 2.1 rebounds a night, and is currently the club's starting shooting guard.

LeVert, who's questionable today with a knee injury, has been a useful contributor despite averaging 24.4 minutes a night, his lowest output since his rookie season in 2016-17.

Here are our expert predictions for the matchup.

Can The Celtics Cover The Spread?

The Celtics are no slouches this year. Boston has been without its starting center, Kristaps Porzingis, all year, while dealing with absences to All-Star swingman Jaylen Brown. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, have been healthier. Although Cleveland is the hotter team thus far in this regular season, Boston still appears to have the postseason edge. What happens on Tuesday, however, is more of a question mark — especially since Porzingis remains out and sixth man point guard Payton Pritchard is dealing with a sprained thumb.

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According to sportsbook aggregator The Action Network, the Celtics are six-point favorites to hand the Cavaliers their first defeat of the season. All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum could be a matchup nightmare for Evan Mobley, while Brown could also be a tough assignment for whichever Cavaliers wing Atkinson opts to start, between Isaac Okoro, Jerome and Sam Merrill. Look for the Celtics to not cover the spread, but secure the W.

It All Comes Down To Boston's Backcourt

Ultimately, All-Defensive Team guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday will need to do their darnedest to lock down All-Star Cavaliers guards Garland and Mitchell. Look for lots of switching and the occasional swarming double team. If White and Holiday can just hold Garland and Mitchell below their scoring averages this year and seal off passing lanes, that should make the difference.

Garland is averaging 21.4 points on .525/.455/.932 shooting splits, while Mitchell is averaging 24.5 points on a .469/.421/.855 slash line.

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