Top Eastern Conference Teams Set to Face Off
The Cavaliers have certainly shocked the NBA world with not only their strong start, but their ability to stay on top of the Eastern Conference for this long. With several teams making big offseason moves the Celtics and the Knicks were projected to be the top teams in the Eastern Conference this year. However, the Cavaliers have managed to gain the lead in the East and maintain a several-game lead over the defending champion Boston Celtics. On Tuesday, these top teams are set to face off in what looks like a playoff matchup preview. So what should NBA fans expect?
The Celtics have started to get back on their feet, winning their last three games including completing a massive comeback against the 76ers on Sunday. The Celtics certainly have the superstar power to get back to the NBA Finals, but they shouldn’t get complacent during the regular season and forfeit the top seed to the Cavaliers. The chance to inch closer back to the top seed makes this matchup crucial for the Celtics. They will need Kristaps Porziņģis to dominate in the paint against the formidable Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combination down low. The Celtics might also look to involve Al Horford more in this game to help deal with the Cavaliers’ size.
The Cavaliers have had a strong start to the season, and another win against the Celtics here will go a long way toward locking up the top seed. The Cavaliers in recent years have been unable to get past the Celtics in the playoffs, but they have shown this season that they might have finally found a winning formula against them. For the Cavaliers to win this game they need to involve their big men while also limiting the explosive combination of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. This Celtics roster has so many weapons, but they can become over-reliant on the three-pointer if they aren’t having success in the paint. If the Cavaliers can keep the Celtics out of the paint then the Cavs should dominate the boards and win this game in front of the home crowd.
