Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers preview, injury report, and info - November 13, 2021
FearTheSword.com
The Boston Celtics secured their second home win of the season last night, taking down the injury-plagued Milwaukee Bucks, 122-113 in overtime. It was a stressful game overall, but the C’s were able to get it done. Now they will travel to Cleveland on night two of a back-to-back to take on a young and hungry Cavaliers squad.
Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game preview, injury report, and info
How to Watch
Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, Ohio
Time: 8:00 p.m. (EST)
Channel(s): NBC Sports Boston, NBA League Pass
Team Breakdowns
As mentioned, the C’s were able to take home a win last night. However, it came against a Bucks team that was without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Donte DiVincenzo. The fact that it was a close game at all was not ideal. It was a very weird case, though, because it seemed like the Celtics had solid energy. It was just that the Bucks capitalized on every single tiny mistake the Celtics made, which helped them consistently stay in the game.
Dennis Schroder was the star of the show last night, dropping a career-high 38 points in the win. When other players couldn’t get things going, the Celtics turned to Schroder to close out the game vs. Milwaukee. Luckily, he stepped up to the plate at the right time. Robert Williams was also phenomenal last night, battling for every rebound on the offensive glass. Lastly, Marcus Smart came in clutch during the third quarter. Just when the Bucks were going on a run, he went on a run of his own to take the lead and give the C’s an edge.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have been a fun surprise this season. Most expected them to be a bottom-tier team in the conference, but they are currently fighting for a playoff spot. They currently sit at 8-5, tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference. They are a very average offensive team, but they get things done on the defensive end. The frontcourt pairing of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley has been a force to be reckoned with this season. In addition, point guard Darius Garland has been leading the team in both scoring and assists while shooting very efficiently from both the field and from deep.
Injury Report
The same two players are listed on Boston’s injury report for tonight’s game. Jaylen Brown (hamstring) is out, and two-way player Brodric Thomas (shoulder) is questionable. In addition, Al Horford (lower back pain) and Josh Richardson (knee) are questionable, while Romeo Langford (right ankle sprain) is probable.
As for Cleveland, they are dealing with a few injuries of their own. Collin Sexton recently suffered a torn meniscus and will be out indefinitely, while Lauri Markkanen is also sidelined, but due to entering the league’s health and safety protocols. Kevin Love has been dealing with these protocols as well but has recently been cleared to return to team activities. Lastly, Lamar Stevens is listed as day-to-day.
Keys to the Game
The Cavaliers have one of the best rebounders in the league in Jarrett Allen. This will be a great test for Robert Williams to see if he can keep up his string of solid rebounding games. It won’t be easy to do, however, as Allen is a legit seven-footer averaging over 11 boards per game. However, with the tenacity Williams has been showing on the glass, he should be able to put up a good fight. Controlling the glass would be a huge advantage for the C’s tonight, and hopefully, it’s one that Williams can provide for them.
Secondly, this should be a game where the Celtics take advantage of a lackluster offense. Their defense has been what has carried them to wins in most of their last five games, and it should continue to do so tonight. As solid as the Cavs are on defense, they are not very good on the other end. Boston should be able to clamp down on defense and then use that to win on the offensive end as well. There’s no reason this Cavaliers team should be putting up a ton of points on a defense as good as Boston’s.
Lastly, another great game from Boston’s guard would be awesome. The Cavaliers have two solid guards in Darius Garland and Ricky Rubio, but Marcus Smart and Dennis Schroder should be able to outperform them, especially after last night. Smart had a big third quarter and Schroder had a big game in general but looked particularly great in overtime. If they can control the pace of the game and keep things moving, it would be a huge help to the Celtics as they attempt to improve to above .500.
Pregame Show
Make sure to tune in to our live pregame show, “The Banner Town Build Up.” We are live 30 minutes before every Celtics game at @GuyBostonSports on YouTube and Facebook. See you there at 7:30 p.m. (EST) tonight!
