Celtics have no excuse not to eliminate Cavs in Game 5 now
The breaks continue for the Boston Celtics.
Not that they needed a break against the clearly-inferior Cleveland Cavaliers, but they’re reportedly getting the same one they got in Game 4. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Cavs All-Star Donovan Mitchell is expected to miss Wednesday night’s Game 5 with a calf strain.
On top of that, Tim Bontemps reported Wednesday that the Cavs didn’t have Caris LeVert or Jarrett Allen present at morning shootaround, either, an indication that they may be unable to play in Game 5 as well. Allen hasn’t played since April 27 against the Orlando Magic with a rib injury.
LeVert, however, would be missing his first game of the series against the Celtics if he can’t go. LeVert played 38:41 in Game 4, scoring 19 points while shooting 9-of-18.
Jayson Tatum and the Celtics already had little-to-no excuse to do anything but eliminate the Cavaliers in Game 5 on Wednesday night at TD Garden, with Mitchell out. If Cleveland is also without LeVert, that only makes it more imperative to get this series over-with in five games and avoid extending it unnecessarily.
Cleveland has virtually no hope in the series, so it’s not like we’re going there. But it would be Celtics-like to make this harder on themselves than it needs to be. They should not be going back to Cleveland, as they take their home court against a severely undermanned opponent.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
