Boston Celtics: Pros & cons of facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in round one
By Mark Nilon
The Boston Celtics have been one of the hottest teams in the entire league since the mid-way mark of the 2021-22 campaign, going 31-10 over their last 41 outings which, in turn, gave them a 51-31 record on the year and, with Sunday night’s dominating win over the Memphis Grizzlies, are heading into the postseason in possession of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
Considering the fact that they were owners of a losing record through the first half of action, boasting a 20-21 mark up till January 10th, this placement out east is truly a remarkable feat and, as a result, find themselves guaranteed two things as we approach the playoffs: home-court advantage through at least the first two rounds and a quarterfinals opponent that will be determined later today when the No. 7 Nets play host to the No. 8 Cavaliers.
The loser of this contest will have another shot at a postseason berth, as they’ll then go on to play the winner of the No. 9 Atlanta Hawks vs. the No. 10 Charlotte Hornets series while the team that comes away victorious from the Tuesday-night matchup will be gearing up for a trip to eastern Massachusetts for a challenging series against the shamrocks.
When it comes to both of Boston’s potential first-round matchups, there’s a strong feeling amongst fans and media pundits alike that the home team has a great chance of advancing to the second round no matter who they square off against.
That said, while they may be perceived as the odds-on favorites, there’s certainly an argument to be made that either of these potential opponents could make things a bit challenging and, in fact, steal the series away from the C’s.
In preparation for tonight’s play-in matchup, we at HH thought it would be a fun idea to share our thoughts on some pros and cons of the Boston Celtics playing against either of these two teams in the first round.
We’ve already covered the Brooklyn Nets earlier this morning and, now, we’ll be diving into their other potential foe, the Cleveland Cavaliers: