It is not, by any means, just another game. The Boston Celtics (11-3), current NBA champions and top candidates to repeat the title, will test the historic Cleveland Cavaliers (15-0) who have chained fifteen consecutive victories and who do not know what it is to lose. As a background, a group stage of the NBA Cup in which the Celtics need to recover from the loss in the first game against the Atlanta Hawks. A must see in every rule.
Date and time of Celtics vs Cavaliers
Date: November 19.
Time: These are the start times of the Celtics vs. Cavaliers depending on time zone.
| Spain (peninsular), France and Italy | 01:00 |
| Dominican Republic, USA (Boston, New York and Miami), Puerto Rico and Venezuela | 19:00 |
| Mexico (central), El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua | 17:00 |
| Mexico (Pacific) and USA (Los Angeles) | 16:00 |
| Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay | 21:00 |
| Colombia, Ecuador, USA (Chicago and Texas), Peru and Panama | 17:00 |
Site: TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts)
Celtics quintet vs. Cavaliers
Nobody wants to miss this match, so both teams are expected to take the field with their usual starting five. Among the absences are the already known ones of Kristaps Porzingis and Max Strus. The Cavaliers will also be without Dean Wade, while Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert are doubtful. On the part of the Boston Celtics, Payton Pritchard is under observation for a sprained left thumb.
| Celtics | Cavaliers |
| Jrue Holiday | Darius Garland |
| Derrick White | Donovan Mitchell |
| Jaylen Brown | Isaac Okoro |
| Jayson Tatum | Evan Mobley |
| Al Horford | Jarrett Allen |
Breaking news for the Celtics: injuries and form
The Boston Celtics will be required in the playoffs. And also in matches like this one, in which contenders for the crown will try to get on their beards. At the moment, Joe Mazzulla’s team has won eleven victories in fourteen games, giving the sensation of going at half speed and only pushing when the rival approaches them.
Curiously, teams like the Toronto Raptors, located in the lower zone of the Eastern Conference, have known how to make them uncomfortable: very physical play, a high offensive rhythm, even chaotic at times; and influence painting with Jakob Poeltl on duty. This is how Pacers, Hawks and Warriors also sank their teeth into them. For this reason, Jaylen Brown himself wanted to give a warning to his teammates: «I feel like our defense could be better. I feel like they score too many easy shots on us in the paint. “That’s been the trend, so we have to figure it out.”
In any case, these small setbacks in this first month of the season do not represent any real concern and the Celtics maintain their status as great candidates to win the ring and sign the back-to-back. They maintain the same core, they know the system by heart and, in addition, they are seeing how secondary players like Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta give an extra boost from the bench. And if they are interested in advancing to the next round in the NBA Cup, they have to beat Cleveland.
Player to watch: Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum is not bad at the Cavaliers: he averages 29.5 points in his last six regular season games and in the last Conference Semifinals he avoided any type of reaction with 26.8 points per night, even without being particularly successful . He has started this season like a motorcycle, scoring at a high volume, looking for his teammates and appearing in the hot moments: he has 5.3 points in the clutch and has been instrumental in recent tight finishes against Toronto, Milwaukee and Brooklyn.
Latest news for the Cavaliers: injuries and form
The Cleveland Cavaliers became, this Sunday, the fourth team to start a season with fifteen consecutive victories after beating the Charlotte Hornets by a result of 128-114. This streak allows them to tie with the Washington Capitols of the 1948-49 season and the 1994 champion Houston Rockets. The Golden State Warriors of 73-9 and 24 consecutive wins are now the only team with the best start in history.
Along the way, those from Ohio have beaten teams like the Bucks, Lakers, Warriors, Knicks and Magic, but now they will have to face the real coco of the competition. The current NBA champions emerge as a threat to the undefeated Cavaliers, who, in turn, have an unbeatable opportunity to send a warning to the league and demonstrate that they are a real alternative in the Eastern Conference, in need of references against the bad moment of Milwaukee and Philadelphia. In addition, the Cavaliers will want to take revenge for the painful 4-1 loss they received in the Conference Semifinals in the last playoffs.
The arrival of Kenny Atkinson has boosted the competitive ceiling of these Cavs, which threatened to get bogged down under JB Bickerstaff. In fact, to their already impressive defense they have added the best attack in the entire NBA: they are scoring 122.1 points per hundred possessions, almost eight more than last year. If Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are at their best, Cleveland may leave the Garden with a 16-0 lead.
Player to watch: Donovan Mitchell
The shooting guard did not play this past Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets thinking about this game. He is currently averaging 24.6 points, his lowest score since 2020, but he is possibly being more effective than ever and, most importantly, with a much more organic and fluid fit next to Darius Garland. Mitchell has established himself as one of the most disruptive outside players in the NBA and, if he has the day, he presents himself as the maximum threat for the Celtics.
Celtics vs. Cavaliers: history of confrontations
He head-to-head History does not have much science: the Celtics dominate their rival today with authority by 139 wins to 87. Therefore, what interests us most is how things have gone for them recently. Last season, the Celtics took the particular duel two wins to one, although in three very close duels. In the playoffs, there was no color: 4-1 in favor of Boston, although, yes, with significant losses in the Cavaliers locker room.
Predictions for Celtics vs. Cavaliers
The flag attack. Both teams are perfectly capable of dry their rival, but what is characterizing them in this first season is the attack: the Cavaliers have the best offensive ratio in the league, and the Celtics, the second. Only the New York Knicks are keeping up. The Cavs and Celtics present multiple offensive weapons, also on the bench, where the Ohioans have a little more arsenal than their current rival.
Extra motivation. As we said in the opening paragraph of this article, this is not just another game. Not only for the fans, but also for the players involved and for the competition itself. “It’s great for the NBA, right?” said Kenny Atkinson. «Everyone will be watching and I know our guys are anxious. I know you remember last year. […] “We are expectant.” Without a doubt, the Cavaliers want revenge for the past playoffs, prolong their streak and send a message to the entire NBA. And the Celtics have accepted the challenge. «It will be a good game. We look forward to it,” said Payton Pritchard.
Will they master the painting? The difference in centimeters in the paint is deceptive: the Celtics and the Cavaliers collect almost identical data, both in total rebounds and in percentage of rebounds captured. Of course, the Ohioans are defending the zone much better: they only concede 44.8 points per game (7th), compared to the Celtics’ 53.1 (27th). In fact, Joe Mazzulla’s men have just conceded 76 points in the zone against Toronto.
Where to watch Celtics vs. Cavaliers
The match between Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers can be seen in Spain through the NBA League Pass subscription.
(Cover photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
