Cleveland’s championship aspirations took a hit when Kevin Love was dropped with a shoulder injury during the first round in Boston last season. A return to the scene of the crime should be a motivating factor for Love and the Cavs. The Celtics were swept in that series and would like to show they’ve made strides. They’re headed in the right direction going 5-2 SU and 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven.
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LOOK AHEAD
The Cavaliers have exceeded most expectations so far. That is, other than their own. While the Cavs are the heavy favorite to win the Eastern Conference, it’s a little surprising they already sit at the top without star point guard Kyrie Irving. Still, all isn’t peachy in Cleveland, as LeBron James appears more focused and less patient than ever before. The bottom line is we won’t get an accurate read on this team until January at the earliest. Iman Shumpert returned to the lineup for the first time this season over the weekend and Irving is still not back after offseason knee surgery. Center Timofey Mozgov is still working his way back into game shape after going under the knife during the offseason as well. On top of that, Mo Williams, Matthew Dellavedova and J.R. Smith have missed time as well. Part 1 of the Cavs season has gone well. Part 2 will be when Irving returns. Cleveland took the Finals to six games last season playing the Warriors without Irving and Love. Once everybody gets back healthy, and stays that way, the Cavs could be the favorite to win it all.
INJURIES
Irving is getting close to making his season debut but the Cavs are being cautious about his return and he will not play against Boston. He travelled with the team on its two-game road trip and could be on the court when the Cavs host Philadelphia on Dec. 20.
Smith didn’t play in the Cavs’ blowout win in Orlando on Saturday due to an illness and is questionable to play against Boston. He didn’t travel with the team but joined the club Sunday after he started feeling better.
Marcus Smart remains sidelined for the Celtics until at least early January as he recovers from a knee injury that forced him to miss the last 12 games.
KEY MATCHUP
LeBron James is tired of hearing about how long he’s running up and down the court. The King is fourth in the NBA in minutes played at 36.8 and is the only player 30 or older in the top 18 in minutes averaged. He turns 31 on Dec. 30, but to be fair, he’s averaging the second-lowest minute tally of his career. The questions will always be there, and he understands it. At his age, he’s still one of the few players who does everything on the court. His workload is enormous. It’s hard to rest the best player in the game, particularly when he’s still able to contribute at such a high level. “I’ve never in my career played high minutes and hurt my team, so I don’t see why it’s such a big deal now,” James said. And he’s not hurting the Cavs. His scoring and rebounding averages are higher at this point in the season than they were last season while playing only 30 seconds more per game. He remains the best player in the game and while he turns 31 next week, his training regimen and treatment program are ahead of the curve. Now that he’s pissed with all the questions regarding his minutes and production, expect him to take it out on the Celtics in what could be a big game for him.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
The Cavs are getting healthy now that Shumpert has returned to the lineup. He scored 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting in just over 24 minutes Friday when the Cavs routed Orlando. Cleveland also enjoyed a nice break with three days off in between games on their road trip. Smith is likely to return as well after missing the Orlando game with an illness, getting the Cavs close to full strength as they await the return of Irving. The Celtics are on a nice little run of their own, but the Cavs overwhelmed them in the playoffs last season and there’s a bit of an angle here with Love, who was injured at Boston last season knocking him out of the postseason. Watch for LeBron and Love to inflict the hurt this time around as the Cavs get a convincing win on the road.
Cleveland 108, Boston 100
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