What the Celtics are saying ahead of showdown with undefeated Cavs
"It’s looked really good to this point but we’re excited to try to put a loss in their loss column.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a sizzling start.
They’ve won their first 15 games this season and they’ll put their perfect record on the line Tuesday night against the defending champion Celtics Tuesday night at TD Garden.
The Celtics beat the Cavaliers in five games during the Eastern Conference semifinals last season. Coach Joe Mazzulla pointed out a few of the improvements he’s seen Cleveland make since that playoff matchup.
“They’re crashing as a team, they’re cutting more as a team, opening up gaps for those guys to drive the ball and they’re shooting the ball really well, all those guys,” Mazzulla said. “They’re playing at a high level right now for sure and they’ve got a lot of talent but I think some of the small tweaks that they’ve made in their cutting, crashing, and their ability to shoot the ball and their defensive versatility too.”
Cleveland is shooting a league-best 52.4 percent from the field. They are No. 1 in offensive efficiency and points off of turnovers. They are No. 2 in net rating.
“They’re good, man,” Celtics forward Sam Hauser said. “I just think they have a very similar group and I think just having another year of chemistry and continuity under your belt is really important for them. It’s looked really good to this point but we’re excited to try to put a loss in their loss column.”
Cleveland is tied with the 1994 Rockets and the 1949 Capitols for the second-best start in NBA history. The 2016 Warriors, who started 24-0, still hold the top spot.
Hauser downplayed the idea of wanting to send a message to the Cavs that the Celtics are still the team to beat in the East.
“I feel like that’s an every night type of thing,” Hauser said. “I feel like we’ve gotten everybody’s best shot to this point and we have to be better at understanding that that’s what we’ve brought onto ourselves and that that’s what we wanted. That’s what we asked for. So, we’re just going to do what we do, play our game, put the record to the side at the end of games, and do whatever we can to win.”
With big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen both averaging double-figures down low, Cleveland is No. 4 in the league in points in the paint averaging 53.6 per game. Boston, without center Kristaps Porzingis, has been giving up 53.1 points in the paint which is 27th in the league.
Individual defense and rebounding are two of the biggest areas that the Celtics need to improve at as a team, Mazzulla said when asked about the rim protection issues.
“Honestly a lot of rim protection comes with getting blown by, so a lot of it can be fixed by our on-ball pressure and containing people,” guard Payton Pritchard said. “It’s a full team effort, so I feel like we’ll be ready for the next game.”
Cleveland’s top scorer, Donovan Mitchell, excels at penetrating defenses and is averaging 24.8 points per game. His backcourt mate, the speedy Darius Garland, is dishing out 7 assists per game and shooting 45 percent from 3-point range.
“Obviously they’re a really good team. They’ve got a lot of good guards, good length,” Pritchard said. “I feel like their bigs are playing well. Their guards are all-star level guards. It’s going to be a good matchup. We’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be competitive. Hopefully the Boston crowd comes out tomorrow.”
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