The Boston Celtics didn’t need much effort to get past the Miami Heat with a score of 4-1. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers required 7 games to overcome the Orlando Magic with a score of 4-3.

Before facing the Cavaliers, the Celtics received unfortunate news as Kristaps Porzingis suffered a calf injury and might miss the entire Eastern Conference semifinals series. This is a significant loss for the Celtics, as the Latvian star is considered the team’s second-best player this season (after Jayson Tatum).

Despite missing Porzingis’ 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds, the Celtics are still heavily favored. However, Cleveland still has a chance. Here’s what you need to know about the matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Predict Celtics vs Cavaliers

The Cavaliers were once considered the Celtics’ biggest rivals in the East. Donovan Mitchell and his teammates displayed an incredibly impressive form at the start of 2024, winning 17 out of 18 games since January 3rd. However, the Cavaliers couldn’t maintain that impressive form, winning 13 and losing 18 games after that explosive stretch.

The Cavaliers couldn’t find a way to blend Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley together. And Mobley’s injury came at the peak of the Cavaliers’ season. The squad boasts quality players, but they haven’t been able to connect and gel as a team.

If the Celtics are missing their top “big man” Porzingis, the Cavaliers also have issues with their “big men”. Both Allen and Mobley are nursing injuries, and it’s uncertain when they’ll return to play.

On the Celtics’ side, even without Porzingis, they are much stronger than the Cavaliers. Al Horford is a skilled center, experienced, and can be used to fill in for the Latvian center. Without Porzingis, players like Tatum or Jalen Brown are still ready to carry the offensive load for the Celtics.

The Cavaliers have an excellent defense, at least enough to slow down the Celtics’ offensive stars. However, that might not be sufficient to halt Tatum and company. More concerning is the Cavaliers’ demonstrated poor offensive capability in their series against the Magic. Against a significantly stronger Celtics team, if they continue to play like that, the Cavaliers won’t be able to keep up with their opponent’s scoring pace.