Live Thread: Cavs @ Celtics
2021-12-22Good evening CtB!
Tonight, the Cavs head up to Beantown to take on the Boston Celtics in an important Eastern Conference tilt. The Celtics come into the game a bit healthier, with their big two of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. They’ll be in desperation mode given the lackluster start to their season, looking to leap out of the play-in scrum and into the sixth seed.
For the Cavs, they’re in survival mode. The list of healthy players include Darius Garland, Lauri Markkanen, and Ricky Rubio. Reasonable minds would likely say that the Cavs are simply looking to get deep bench guys some run and maintain their competitive spirit and physical health. If the Cavs can keep the margin within 10 points, that should be considered a win. Frankly, the game should be postponed given how many players are out and the coinciding degradation of the on-court product, but such is reality in NBA COVID world.
Tip off is scheduled for 7:30PM ET and will be broadcasted on Bally Sports Ohio/Great Lakes, GO CAVS!
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13657004/usa_today_11916066.jpg "Links to the Present: Roster Rigging")
Lauri is really in his head. The poor kid just can’t buy a bucket.
I think we may regret that contract.
He’s been surprisingly good on the defensive end paired with Mobley and JA. Granted, I might be able to play defense in the NBA with those guys behind me. I think he’ll find his stroke again.
Up to 9 TOs.
Terrible pass by Wade. Leads to a dunk.
We need to cut this homerun pass crap. Play simpler.
Both FTs. Now get it under 10!
Sweet! Make some hay with this.
Clear path?
Should be…
Tacko 4 pts, 9 rebs, 2 blocks.
can’t complain about what he’s doing out there!
Not at all.
He just can’t really come out to the perimeter in the way Mobley and Allen do…
yup
Let us finish strong. Get it back under 10.
Ice and Stevens would be a remedy for the two of them. But they’re great players, you just have to make them work for it.
We need more of that from DG.
Boston has great wings. That is a problem for us even when healthy.
Pritchard looks like a leave it to beaver character
Back up to 10. Cedi to the stripe.
Pritchard is killing it
Yep. He is solid on both sides.
can’t give up open Js to Tatum
Tacko slow on the roll, but DG with the floater
DG warming up. 9-0 run.
nice take DG grinding back into the game!
Dang, bad pass Cedi.
Just be solid.
dammit, bad pass Cedi
Valentime!
guys are competing, just can’t make a damn thing.
Celtics fell asleep there…
GREAT PASS DG!
DG needs to play like the all star guard he’s becoming. Todays the day.
Need Tacko in there with Williams in, too big for Lauri.
I never thought I’d say that… need Tacko
Dont have the horses to run with these guys…gonna have to stop mismatch hunting so hard and just run the o for shots
Lauris shot just… looks good but misses more than he should
Down 13.
have to come back with DG,
2 quick RR TOs. Bummer.
This is going to go downhill fast if we are not careful.
NOT A BAD QTR FOR THE CAVS AND TACKO—WISH TACKO WOULD “SEND ” ONE BACK WHEN A GAURD PENETRATES WITH NA FLOATER
Not bad for being so short manned, surprised to see mine if the new guys or Pangos
We are scrapping. But..
Cs at 54% and 50% from 3.
Cavs: 31% and 11% from 3.
Down 5 not a disaster. Need to find someone to shut down Brown. Painful to have Ice and Stevens out.
Gotta by Anderson.
Tatum scoreless.
Love short on trying to go 2 for 1.
Love o-board & step-back triple.
Lauri and DG have missed a couple of easy shots. We’d be leading if they make those shots
16 for Brown.
Feels like a game where he’ll get 45…
3 steals for Ricky.
FTs helping keep us in it.
Dang, I jinxed Rubio.
Rubio defense >>>>>>>>>>.
Take is just so big it makes up for the lack of talent
Tacko time!
Love in the air! Or on the glass!
Rubio, Valentine, Cedi, Love, Fall.
Valentine in. Almost turns it over. Rubio for DG.
Sports betting now legal in Ohio.
We may need Anderson to try and guard Brown.
Jedi! We needed that!
Brown eating us up.
Shooting splits:
Bos: 57% FGs, 60% on 3s.
Cle: 23% FGs, 0% on 3s.
We are down only 2.
Need to start making some shots or this is gonna get messy fast.
Great double team Wade
jinx!
good defense wade on the double
Love & Cedi in. Think we play more than 7 while it is close?
nope
Me, neither.
damn DG just blew an easy layup :(
That’s where we miss JA. He would have cleaned that up.
Cavs are a scrappy bunch of mofos. I think they can grit this out. Ricky is the chief mofo
Just afraid Garland will struggle to score with Smart on him.
A lead!
Man, with Smart and Timelord, the Celtics have two of the most erratic/ dumb players on the floor any given night…
Smart does dumb things on O, but is pretty clever on D.
Ricky is a thief tonight!
Gonna be a long night.
As I type that, Tacko o-board. Steal inbounds, Markannen and-1.
Cavs bench looks like: Cedi, Love; Valentine, Pagnos, Anderson, Kornet.
bad turnover DG, don’t leave your feet nothing there reset.
Yep. Probably trying to do too much.
DG floater! Good look Lauri just missed badly
Radio did not mention Valentine in H&S list. Oversight or did we get someone back?
Love not mentioned either. Hipefully he is good to go.
he got him back (valentine)
We need a Rubio MSG game tonight. Maybe he just loves Gardens?
We have not been close to full strength in any of our 3 vs Boston.
I’d love to see DG drop 35 & 15 on Smart’s head tonight. But that is unlikely.
I HAVE A PREMINITION THAT THIS GAME WILL REQUIRE …….” MORE BEER PLEASE ‘ WHICH I HAVE MUCH ON STOCK FOR THE HOLIDAYS !!!
A TRUE SIGN OF ” COVID NBA ” SEASON—-TACKO GETTING THE START
We went light at C on the 15 with only 2.
Cavs.com has the starters as: DG, Ricky, Wade, Markannen, Tacko.
I hope Love can play. Or else Cedi is the entire bench.
where is HardRock when we need him?
First time I have seen a starter averaging 0.6 ppg.
After tonight, it is going up, baby! Way up!
Seriously, at this point, I just hope we do not lose anyone else.
Tacko at the 5…good god…
Love is questionable with a foot issue. Tacko or Kornet are the only options at C. Though I guess we could go small.
Fall win a G-League player of the week earlier. It is against his former team. Heck, maybe he can buy us sime minutes. Play zone & hope?
this is like bizarro world — who’da thunk it?
LET THE ‘COVID–NBA ” SEASON COMMENCE
Burner phone update: Kevin Durant in a twitter battle with a 13 year old. Good thing Kyrie is there to help him out.
LMFAOOOOOO
(you can’t make this stuff up!). Isiah Thomas has jumped into the fray to support KD. What a pair of bozos!
He is suck an insecure dude. Great player but so personally insecure. Borderline pathetic.
Good point. Pretty much everyone has some kind of insecurities — even KD about basketball. I slightly feel bad for him. He is not an arrogant jerk like a lot of super-superstars.