With NBA Eastern Conference Finals well underway, the series is dead even. This series is between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. So far this series, the home team has dominated every game. Boston had a chance to eliminate the Cavaliers on the road this past Friday but lost 109-99. Now, the series is returning to Boston where the Celtics are undefeated this postseason. However, both teams are now facing elimination in this sudden-death contest so one can expect an extremely competitive contest as both teams lay it all on the line with a berth in the NBA Finals at stake.
Cleveland’s success is due to its best player LeBron James. In the regular season, James averaged 27.5 points per game on an absurd shooting percentage of 54.2% from the floor. However, James has been even better in the postseason. In 15 playoff games, James has averaged 33.7 points per game along with 9.0 assists and 8.7 rebounds per game. Although he is in his 15th NBA season, James has showed no signs of slowing down and the Celtics seem to have no way of stopping him.
In game six, James went into full beast mode as he single-handedly carried the Cavaliers to a victory. In 46 minutes, James had 46 points along with 11 rebounds and nine assists. However, James will most likely need to duplicate this type of performance now that star teammate Kevin Love is out for game seven due to a concussion. Expect James to have a huge game if the Cavaliers plan on returning to the NBA Finals.
Boston’s regular season success was due to its star point guard Kyrie Irving. During the offseason, the Celtics shocked the NBA world by trading its star point guard Isaiah Thomas to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving. Since joining the Celtics, Irving was phenomenal and was also a borderline MVP candidate. This season, Irving averaged 24.4 points per game along with 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds. However, Irving will be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.
In Irving’s absence, young players like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have taken over most of the team’s scoring duties. In his second NBA season, Brown averaged 14.5 points per game and 4.9 rebounds a game while shooting a respectable 46.5% from the field. In his rookie season, Tatum averaged 13.9 points per game along with 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 47.5% from the floor. If Boston wants to win this game and ultimately the series without its best player, Brown and Tatum will need to play extremely well.
As for my prediction, I have to side with the Cavaliers. Although the Celtics are clearly the better team, one does not simply doubt LeBron James in an elimination game. I might be in the minority when I state that I actually think the Cavaliers are better without Kevin Love. James can now play power forward which should help with the team’s spacing on offense. Ultimately, I will never pick James to get eliminated before the NBA Finals so I think that the Cavaliers will somehow find a way to win this contest.
Cavaliers vs. Celtics: Game Time, TV Channel & Viewing Details
Event: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics
Date: Sunday, May 27, 2018
Start Time: 8:30 P.M. EST
Location: TD Garden in Boston, MA
Broadcast: ESPN
How to Watch Cavaliers vs. Celtics On Your Tablet Or Mobile Device
You can live stream the game on the WatchESPN app.
You can download the WatchESPN app on Google Play, Amazon, iTunes, and the Windows Store. The Fox Sports Go app is also available on the following devices: Apple TV, Roku, Android TV and Fire TV.
How To Live Stream Cavaliers vs. Celtics Online Without Cable Subscription
You can also live stream the game through Sling TV free trial. Just click on the Sling website and click “Watch Now 7 Days Free” for the free trial. Choose the Sling Orange package, which costs $20 per month and comes with ESPN, along with many other sports channels.