Key: Green Day
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After winning four of five around the All-Star Break, the Cavaliers have dropped their last three. But they have a chance to get back into the win column on Wednesday night when the shorthanded Celtics – who could be without four starters – roll into Cleveland.
The Wine & Gold hung tough with their previous two Playoff-bound opponents – including a four-quarter battle on Monday night against Utah despite being without Andre Drummond, Tristan Thompson and Darius Garland. With that trio on the bench, Collin Sexton posted a career scoring night to keep Cleveland in the contest, but Rudy Gobert’s presence on the inside was too much for J.B. Bickerstaff’s shorthanded squad.
The Celtics have dropped two straight – in extremely difficult fashion – and travel to Cleveland on the second half of a back-to-back. On Tuesday night, Brooklyn’s Caris LeVert exploded for 37 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Celtics coughed up an 18-point fourth quarter lead, dropping the 129-120 decision in Beantown.
Tonight’s meeting with Boston is the fourth and final one of the year, with the C’s looking to complete the season sweep. Brad Stevens’ squad has won the previous two at the Garden by an average of 17.0 points per, with Cleveland dropping a squeaker at home in early November.
Key: Seeing Red
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The Celtics could be without some of their top guys when they take the floor on Wednesday night.
Kemba Walker has missed the previous five games with a sore knee, Marcus Smart might be facing a suspension for a postgame beef with the officials, Jayson Tatum missed Tuesday’s game against Brooklyn with an illness and Jaylen Brown is nursing a sore right hamstring.
The Cavaliers might be shorthanded as well on Wednesday, but one player that will almost certainly give it a go is Collin Sexton, who hasn’t missed a single game through his first two seasons in the league – suiting up for the first 143 contests of his young career.
But the Young Bull isn’t just suiting up. He’s been the Wine & Gold’s most efficient offensive weapon through those first two seasons – and if these recent weeks are an example, he’s simply getting better, tying his career-high scoring mark on Friday and besting it two nights later.
In Monday’s loss to Utah, Sexton tallied a career-best 32 points, going 11-for-17 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from long-range and 6-of-8 from the stripe, adding five boards, three assists and a game-high three steals.
Over his last four games, the sophomore from Alabama is averaging 26.8 poings per, shooting 55 percent from the floor and 59 percent from long-range over that stretch. Since December 23, Sexton has tallied 19 games of 20 points or more and three 30-point efforts – averaging 22.6ppg on .478 shooting from the floor and .452 from deep over that 32-game stretch.
Key: Reserve Judgement
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Other than a pair of clunkers after the Break, Larry Nance Jr. has excelled in every role the Cavaliers have placed him in. He’s played all three frontcourt positions (effectively) this season and has been just as good as a starter as he has coming off the bench.
On Wednesday night, the fifth-year man from Wyoming moved into the starting lineup with injuries to Tristan Thompson and Andre Drummond – finishing with 16 points on 7-for-17 shooting, adding eight boards, eight assists and a pair of steals.
Nance completely turned his season around on January 17 – tallying double-figures 16 times over that 20-game stretch, averaging 12.7 points and 7.9 boards. He’s struggled in three games against the Celtics so far this season, combining for just eight points in the last two games after notching 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the opener.
Nance was one of just two Cavaliers to come off the bench in Monday’s loss to Utah. The other was Matthew Dellavedova, who’s been back in the rotation with the injury to Dante Exum (and Darius Garland’s absence).
After a rough first half, Delly’s been rock-solid since the All-Star Break – shooting 52 percent from the floor, including 56 percent from beyond the arc. He’s also averaging 5.6 assists per over the last three games, bolstered by his team-high nine dimes on Monday night.