Sunday, March 8 at 8: 00 p. m. ET — CONFIRMED: Cleveland hosts Boston and the Cavaliers enter the Celtics Vs Cavaliers matchup with a seven-game home winning streak. UNCONFIRMED as of 8: 00 p. m. ET: the availability of Donovan Mitchell (groin), Max Strus (foot), Dean Wade (ankle) and Jarrett Allen (knee) remains unresolved and will determine Cleveland’s final rotation.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ seven-game home streak and confirmed season numbers
CONFIRMED FACT: The Cavaliers are 39-24 overall and have recorded a seven-game home winning streak. Still, Cleveland has gone 25-15 against Eastern Conference teams and ranks eighth in the NBA with 28. 4 assists per game, a confirmed team metric that has supported their home success.
Celtics Vs Cavaliers injury statuses and the teams’ recent meeting
CONFIRMED FACT: The teams have met twice earlier this season; on Nov. 30 the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 117-115, with Payton Pritchard scoring 42 points and Evan Mobley scoring 27 for Cleveland. UNCONFIRMED as of 8: 00 p. m. ET: Cleveland lists Donovan Mitchell day to day (groin), Max Strus out (foot), Dean Wade day to day (ankle) and Jarrett Allen day to day (knee). For Boston, Nikola Vucevic and Jordan Walsh are listed day to day (finger, illness respectively).
Observable metrics that will resolve the matchup: Mitchell, scoring and assists
CONFIRMED FACT: The Cavaliers average 119. 1 points per game while allowing 107. 0 points to opponents; the Celtics average 114. 5 points per game and allow 114. 9. Yet, the clarity on the game’s likely flow depends on confirmed starting lineups and who is active. UNCONFIRMED as of 8: 00 p. m. ET: Donovan Mitchell’s status is unresolved and will meaningfully affect Cleveland’s scoring; Mitchell is shooting 48. 3% and averaging 28. 5 points in the season so far.
That said, confirmed recent performance splits show the Cavaliers averaging 116. 3 points, 43. 4 rebounds and 26. 9 assists over their last 10 games while opponents averaged 109. 3 points. Still, the Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10, averaging 111. 6 points, 51. 6 rebounds and 27. 9 assists while holding opponents to 99. 6 points per game; those metrics are confirmed and will be central to assessing game control once final rosters are posted.
UNCONFIRMED as of 8: 00 p. m. ET: individual role shifts are not finalized — Sam Merrill’s recent perimeter shooting (3. 4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games) and James Harden’s role, listed in the context as “James Harden leads the Cavaliers averaging 8. 1, ” could alter playmaking balance depending on who is active and starting.
Closing: The confirmed next event is the Cavaliers hosting the Celtics on Sunday, March 8 at 8: 00 p. m. ET. If Donovan Mitchell is confirmed available, Cleveland’s 119. 1 points-per-game scoring profile is expected to be a primary factor during the game; if he remains unavailable, the Cavaliers’ reliance on team assists (28. 4 per game) and contributions from Evan Mobley or role players will be the observable indicators of whether the seven-game home streak continues.
