2 days Ago By Sean Keane, Yardbarker
When the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, it won't just be the best matchup of the NBA season so far. It will be one of the best regular-season matchups in recent memory. THIS MATCHUP The unbeaten Cavaliers look to become 2nd team in NBA history to start a season 16-0.
The defending NBA champion Celtics look to pick up their first Group Play victory. CAVS/CELTICS #EmiratesNBACup East Group C action tips tonight at 7:00pm/et on TNT! pic.twitter.
com/xgJG7pWPBm The Boston Celtics are the reigning NBA champions who returned virtually their entire roster after a dominant 16-3 run through the playoffs. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 15-0, tied for the second-best start to a season in NBA history. Cleveland has the league's top offense, while Boston is No.
2. Cleveland is outscoring its opponents by 12.2 points per game, and Boston is up 10.
2 on its opponents. It's two very good teams in what could well be a playoff preview, plus a crucial game in deciding which Eastern Conference team gets home-court advantage for the playoffs. It's the first time a defending champion has played a team on a 15-game win streak since 1996 .
And it's the highest combined winning percentage for two teams this late in the season since 1993. A post shared by NBC Sports Boston (@nbcsboston) If that weren't enough, it's also an NBA Cup game. With Boston sitting at 0-1 in the in-season tournament so far, it's effectively a must-win game if the Celtics hope to advance.
Not like this team needs extra motivation, especially with Jayson Tatum chasing his first MVP award and nailing game-winning shots. JAYSON TATUM HITS THE GAME WINNING BUZZER BEATER pic.twitter.
com/GvTqgAgsUE It's an intriguing matchup because of the teams' styles of play, as well. Boston makes the most three-pointers in the league, while Cleveland makes 3.4 fewer triples per game, but makes them at the league's highest rate.
The Celtics play a wing-heavy lineup, while with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers effectively play two centers together. Can the Celtics slow down the Cavs, who are the NBA's best shooting team? Can Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland still do damage against Boston's All-Defensive backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White? And can Boston continue its signature three-point attack against the team that's holding opponents to the NBA's third-worst percentage from three-point range? We usually don't get a high-stakes NBA game in mid-November, but when two teams establish themselves as the class of the league so quickly, it doesn't take long for the stakes to rise. NBA Cup, home-court and bragging rights: They're all at stake Tuesday night in Boston.
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