The Boston Celtics currently have a commanding 3-1 lead after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in games 3 and 4 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
BOSTON — The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the brink of being eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
After sweeping games 3 and 4 from the Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Boston Celtics come into Game 5 of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinals series with a commanding 3-1 lead.
For the Cavaliers, they are continuing to struggle with injuries to two of their best players — Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen — stacking the odds against the Wine and Gold tonight.
Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 5 info, how to watch on TV, betting line:
- Game 1: Celtics beat Cavaliers 120-95, Tuesday, May 7
- Game 2: Cavaliers beat Celtics 118-94, Thursday, May 9
- Game 3: Celtics beat Cavaliers 106-93 Saturday, May 11
- Game 4: Celtics beat Cavaliers 109-102 Monday, May 13
- Game 5: Cavaliers at Celtics, Wednesday, May 15 (7 ET, TNT)
- Game 6: Celtics at Cavaliers, Friday, May 17 (8:30 ET, ESPN) If necessary
- Game 7: Cavaliers at Celtics, Sunday, May 19 (TBD, TBD) If necessary
Game 5 preview
It’s do-or-die for the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight as their 2023-24 NBA season is on the line. The series has returned to Boston, where the top-seeded Celtics have homecourt advantage as they look to close out the best-of-seven series against the Wine and Gold.
You have to give the Cavaliers credit for hanging with the Celtics in most of Game 4 as the team was without Allen and Mitchell. In their absence, other players rose to the occasion — including Darius Garland who dropped a team-high 30 points in the team’s loss.
If the Cavaliers want their season to continue, they will have to overcome a lot of adversity tonight.
According to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Mitchell will miss his second straight game due to a calf strain that he suffered late in Game 3 on Saturday night in Cleveland. Jarrett Allen will also be out again with bruised ribs, and Caris LeVert now joins them on the injured list with a left knee bone bruise.
If the Celtics win, they will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and face the winner of the New York Knicks/Indiana Pacers series. If the Cavaliers win, the series will return to Cleveland for Game 6 on Friday, May 17, at 8:30 p.m.
If the Cavaliers lose tonight, questions will start to swirl: Will Mitchell be back? Will head coach J.B. Bickerstaff be back? Only time will tell for the future of next season’s 2024-25 Cavaliers’ team.
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First appeared on www.wkyc.com