Preview Of the Three Biggest Games on the Sizzling Celtics Road Trip

The Celtics entered their game yesterday with a 47-12 record, and it felt like a game against the Golden State Warriors was a psychological must-win. The Celtics needed to exorcise their demons after losing to their opponents in the 2022 NBA Finals and blowing an overtime game in the Bay earlier this season. The Celtics played one of the most complete first-half performances of the season on both ends of the court. The Celtics scored a franchise-high 82 points in the first half and held the Warriors to 38 points. The Warriors played a curious defensive strategy of daring Jaylen Brown to make three-pointers in the first quarter, and he made them pay by scoring 19 points. Jayson Tatum led the avalanche in the second by scoring 20 points. On the defensive end, the Celtics played Steph Curry aggressively and held him to just 4 points, going 2 of 13 from the field and 0 of 9 from three-point range. Steve Kerr waived the white flag by not playing Curry in the second half, and Boston ended the game with their record-high 3rd fifty-point win of the season. The Celtics will now head on the road for a five-game trip with their win streak at a season-high 11 games. In this article, we will discuss the three biggest games on the road trip.

1. Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers-7:30 PM ET TNT

The Celtics will match up against the team with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. However, the Cavaliers have slipped off the pace since the All-Star Break by winning only 3 of the seven games and falling to 9 games behind Boston. The slump coincided with the injury to star Point Guard Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell has the last two games due to a bone bruise and will likely miss three more matchups, including the game against the Celtics. On Sunday, the injury-riddled New York Knicks beat the Cavaliers in Cleveland despite losing Jalen Brunson in the first minute of the game to a minor injury. It means that the Cavaliers are struggling without Mitchell in the lineup, but it appears the Celtics will be resting Jaylen Brown. Kristaps Porzingis will likely play given the size of the Cavaliers of Evan Mobley and Jarret Allen on the front court. I think the Celtics’ ability to spread the floor will be too much for the Cavaliers without Mitchell.
Celtics 115-Cavaliers 105.

2. Boston Celtics vs Denver Nuggets-10:00 PM ET TNT

This will be the premier matchup on this road trip. The Nuggets are the defending champions, and it appears they are rounding into form with a 6-game winning streak after the All-Star break. The two played a tight matchup earlier this season in Boston, with Denver sneaking out of Beantown with a 102-100 victory. The win ended Boston’s home winning streak to start the season at 20 games. I think these two teams are the best starting lineups in the league. I think Jayson Tatum’s stock in the MVP is rising, and an incredible performance in a win on the road in the mile-high city would bolster his case for the coveted award. On the other hand, Nikola Jokic will relish the opportunity as the front-runner for the award and have another commanding performance. It will be interesting to see whether Joe Mazzulla will test Xavier Tillman’s ability to slow down Jokic with the possibility of a final’s matchup. I think that the first loss will sting the Celtics, and they will have their revenge on the road in a close win.
Celtics 107-Nuggets 104

3. Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns-8:30 PM ET ABC

The Celtics will end this grueling week with a prime-time match-up in the desert on Saturday night. The Suns enter Tuesday’s match-up against the Nuggets on a two-game losing streak and have been treading water at 5-5 in the past ten games. The Suns have struggled to have continuity in the lineup and lost Devin Booker to an ankle injury in Saturday’s loss to the Houston Rockets. According to reports, the superstar will be sidelined for at least a week to 10 days. I think Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal will be motivated to put on a show at home on national television. Durant will see this as an opportunity to send a message against the best team, while Beal will want to prove a point against his good friend, Jayson Tatum. Unfortunately, the Celtics are too good on both sides of the floor, and the trio of Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis will dominate the fourth quarter. I think they relish another opportunity to win in a tough Western Conference environment and continue the win streak. The Valley will have a shot at revenge when they play the Celtics five days later in Boston.
Celtics 118-Suns 111