Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers
Matchup preview
Last season: too early in this one to read much from it
Matchup odds
No moneylines yet.
Who wins?
Season leaders, per game
CLE
BOS17.3PointsCLE27.9
BOS8.8ReboundsCLE9.0
BOS5.4AssistsCLE8.0
BOS1.7StealsCLE1.5
BOS1.3BlocksCLE1.7
| BOS | Stat | CLE |
|---|---|---|
| 56–26 | Record | 52–30 |
| Offense | ||
| 7.9(better), 4th in the league | Net rating | 9th in the league, 4.0 |
| 118.1(better), 2nd in the league | Offensive rating | 5th in the league, 117.0 |
| 97.1, 30th in the league | Pace | 13th in the league, 101.8 |
| 55.3, 11th in the league | eFG% | 4th in the league, 56.1(better) |
| 10.5(better), 1st in the league | TOV% | 9th in the league, 11.7 |
| 29.2(better), 6th in the league | OREB% | 9th in the league, 26.9 |
| 0.207, 30th in the league | FT rate | 15th in the league, 0.265(better) |
| Defense | ||
| 110.2(better), 4th in the league | Defensive rating | 15th in the league, 112.9 |
| 52.3(better), 4th in the league | Opp. eFG% | 14th in the league, 54.3 |
| 11.0, 26th in the league | Opp. TOV% | 13th in the league, 12.5(better) |
| 75.7(better), 4th in the league | DREB% | 11th in the league, 74.4 |
| 0.245(better), 6th in the league | Opp. FT rate | 16th in the league, 0.263 |
This season's meetings
They have not met this season.
Injury report
Boston Celtics
Nobody listed.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Peyton WatsonProbable· back Oct 1Cost -2.3 per 100
Report note
Watson isn't guaranteed a spot in the starting five immediately but will have the chance to compete for it during training camp. The 24-year-old forward figures to play a sizable role for Cleveland after being acquired from the Nuggets in August in a multi-team deal. Watson was limited to just 54 regular-season appearances (40 starts) in 2025-26 due in large part to a strained hamstring, though he impressed when healthy, averaging career highs in points (14.6), rebounds (4.9), assists (2.1) and steals (0.9) while chipping in 1.1 blocks per game and shooting 41.1 percent from beyond the arc. His length and defensive versatility will be key for a Cleveland team trying to reach the Finals for the first time since the 2017-18 campaign. However, his growth on the offensive end will also be crucial to achieving that objective. Watson is one of the top candidates to join James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup, but Atkinson isn't ready to commit to that idea just yet, as the Cavaliers have other options like Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson.
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | Last 5 | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.1 | 16.5 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 11.2 / 3.2 / 4.0 | 5.0 | |
| 32.4 | 17.0 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 17.8 / 2.8 / 5.6 | 1.8 | |
| 30.6 | 17.3 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 15.0 / 4.6 / 2.6 | 2.4 | |
| 25.3 | 10.2 | 8.4 | 1.7 | 13.2 / 8.4 / 2.6 | 3.9 | |
| 24.7 | 9.2 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 11.2 / 4.2 / 2.6 | 1.5 |
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | Last 5 | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.9 | 23.6 | 4.8 | 8.0 | 21.0 / 2.2 / 4.8 | 1.7 | |
| 33.5 | 27.9 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 27.6 / 4.8 / 4.8 | 4.3 | |
| 31.9 | 18.2 | 9.0 | 3.6 | 14.8 / 9.0 / 3.4 | 2.6 | |
| 29.6 | 14.6 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 11.6 / 4.8 / 3.0 | 1.6 | |
| 27.2 | 15.4 | 8.5 | 1.8 | 16.2 / 8.8 / 0.6 | 3.4 |
Last five games
| Date | Opponent | Result | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2 | Lost 100–109 | – | – | |
| Apr 30 | Lost 93–106 | – | – | |
| Apr 28 | Lost 97–113 | – | – | |
| Apr 26 | Won 128–96 | – | – | |
| Apr 24 | Won 108–100 | – | – |
| Date | Opponent | Result | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | Lost 93–130 | – | – | |
| May 23 | Lost 108–121 | – | – | |
| May 21 | Lost 93–109 | – | – | |
| May 19 | Lost 104–115 | – | – | |
| May 17 | Won 125–94 | – | – |
Standings
Full standingsMatchups by position
What each defense allows per game to guards, forwards and centers, against the league average. Rank 1 allows the most.
| Player | PTS | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guards | 47.6 (lg 49.8) , 24th in the league | 12.9 (lg 13.6) , 25th in the league | 14.2 (lg 14.2) , 17th in the league |
| Forwards | 39.4 (lg 37.4) , 5th in the league | 15.7 (lg 15.3) , 9th in the league | 7.2 (lg 7.0) , 14th in the league |
| Centers | 9.4 (lg 10.7) , 25th in the league | 7.5 (lg 7.5) , 16th in the league | 1.7 (lg 1.9) , 20th in the league |
| Player | PTS | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guards | 46.0 (lg 49.8) , 29th in the league | 13.2 (lg 13.6) , 18th in the league | 13.7 (lg 14.2) , 19th in the league |
| Forwards | 34.4 (lg 37.4) , 28th in the league | 13.9 (lg 15.3) , 28th in the league | 6.1 (lg 7.0) , 28th in the league |
| Centers | 9.3 (lg 10.7) , 26th in the league | 6.8 (lg 7.5) , 27th in the league | 1.4 (lg 1.9) , 28th in the league |
The box score appears at tip-off.