Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: TV Schedule, Live Stream and Spread Info
The Cleveland Cavaliers ended the Boston Celtics' four-game win streak in Boston on Sunday night and get a chance to beat them again tonight.
The Celtics are finally getting healthy—for the most part—and have looked much better than the ugly mid-January stretch they went through a few weeks ago.
The Cavs are up and down, but they're getting better each and every time their rookie point guard, Kyrie Irving, takes the court.
Tonight in Cleveland we can expect to see two teams both looking to improve.
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
When: Tuesday, January 31 - 7:00 PM ET
Watch: Fox Sports Ohio (FSOH)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
Betting Line (according to Scores and Odds): Celtics (-3.5)
Key Injuries (according to StatFox)
Rajon Rondo, PG, Celtics - Expected to miss (Wrist)
Jermaine O'Neal, F/C, Celtics - Questionable (Knee)
Keyon Dooling, PG, Celtics - Expected to miss (Hip)
Daniel Gibson, G, Cavs - Expected to miss (Neck)
Anthony Parker, G, Cavs - Expected to miss (Back)
What's At Stake?
The Cavs are only one game behind the Celtics for the No. 7 seed and only a half-game behind the Bucks for the No. 8 seed.
The Eastern Conference is absolutely terrible and only six teams have winning records. The West at least has nine winning teams and one with a .500 record.
As crazy as it is, this game has slight playoff implications in the sense that both teams will be battling at the back of the conference for a few more weeks.
What They're Saying
Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer talks about Irving's solid rookie season and what his first game-winner, which came against the Celtics, means to him:
""It was just a shot," Irving said after practice on Monday at the Cleveland Clinic Courts. "It's behind me now. It was a good shot. It was a great team win for us."
Asked what he could do for an encore in Tuesday night's rematch at The Q, Irving smiled and said, "An encore? There is no encore for me. It's just another game and another chance for us to get better against a good Boston team."
Despite becoming the third youngest player to make a game-winning field goal or free throw since 2002-03 -- LeBron James didn't make his first game-winner until his third season -- Irving didn't seem too full of himself. His demeanor was exactly the same as it was the day after he missed a driving layup that could have given the Cavs a victory at Indiana on Dec. 30. Instead, the Cavs lost, 98-91, in overtime.
"
It has been a great start for Irving to his NBA career.
Celtics Player to Watch: Paul Pierce, F
When these two took the court on Sunday night, Pierce was the Celtics' leading assist man. Without Rajon Rondo, everyone has to chip in. The problem is he also had a game-high seven turnovers.
The Celtics had Sunday's game in the bag but let it slip away. Having a true floor general usually helps in those instances, so it will be interesting to see how Pierce handles himself tonight when he's on the ball.
Cavaliers Player to Watch: Kyrie Irving, PG
The rookie took over late in the game on Sunday night as he continued his impressive debut season.
Cleveland has to be happy with the way he's developing and what he's doing on a nightly basis. With Rondo out again and Dooling also expected to miss the game, look for Irving to be the focal point of the Cavs offensive attack.
Key Matchup: Celts Guards vs. Kyrie Irving
With both Rondo and Dooling out, the Celtics have to find a way to defend Irving. He ruined them on Sunday night and he'll do it again tonight if they don't improve.
Prediction: Celtics 91, Cavs 85
