BOSTON — As the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics entered the 2024-25 NBA season as the team to beat. And in many ways, they still are. However, the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers are also notable contenders who happen to be on a collision course with the C's.
On Tuesday night, the Celtics and Cavs will square off at TD Garden in an NBA Cup contest. The Cavaliers weren't receiving much preseason praise a few months ago, yet they've captured the league's attention thanks to a 15-0 start. This marks the second-best run to open a season in NBA history and is only trumped by the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors. Those 73-9 Dubs went an unprecedented 24-0 but later lost in the 2016 NBA Finals to, ironically, the Cavs.
Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard respects what Cleveland's accomplished so far. That doesn't mean he's treating the Green Team's Eastern Conference showdown with the Cavaliers differently.
“Maybe for some, but not necessarily for me,” he answered at a Monday morning practice when asked if Tuesday's game provided any extra motivation. “Every game we play I'm excited. So it doesn't matter if they were 0-15, I'm gonna come in with the same mentality.”
The fifth-year Celtic means it, too. Pritchard knows the struggle of fighting to get on the court and earn minutes. As a result, he never takes any opportunity for playing time for granted.
Whether he's burying the rebuilding Charlotte Hornets with 22 points on a Saturday afternoon or showing out with 18 points against the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, Pritchard comes to play every game. His commitment to always bringing it has helped him secure a more established role with the Celtics and a career-high 28.2 minutes per outing this season.
Through 15 games, the Oregon native is averaging 15.5 points while shooting 46.4% from the floor and 41.9% from deep.
Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard all find themselves in the top 10 for 3-point makes this season.
Al Horford is also in the top 50. pic.twitter.com/fyxDwFI6UO— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) November 17, 2024
“Man, he’s gotten a lot better, as you guys have seen,” Celtics sharp-shooter Sam Hauser said. “I’ve known he can do this. I’ve known that for a while now. He’s finally showing it.”
Where do the Celtics and Cavaliers find themselves ahead of Tuesday night's clash?
With Pritchard's hot shooting and reliable production from Celtics starters Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White, Boston is 11-3 overall and in second place in the Eastern Conference. The C's were on top of the East for 353 days until late October when they fell to the Indiana Pacers and dropped to 4-1. That same day, the Cavs thumped the Los Angeles Lakers to improve to 5-0 and move into first place.
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Cleveland hasn't relinquished its grip on the top seed since. The Cavaliers are led by star guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland and 2022 All-Star center Jarrett Allen, who was sidelined with a broken rib for the entirety of the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals versus the Celtics.
“They're a really good team,” Pritchard acknowledged. “They’ve got a lot of good guards. Good length. Their bigs are playing well … It's gonna be a good matchup, we're looking forward to it. It's gonna be competitive. And hopefully, you know, the Boston crowd comes out tomorrow.”
Boston has allowed the third-most points in the paint this season while Cleveland is averaging the fourth-most points per game in that area. The Celtics often prefer to have teams hurt them inside rather than beyond the perimeter, yet the Cavs' dominance at the rim could alter that game plan.
No matter where the Celtics and Cavs attack each other, Tuesday should provide an intriguing meeting between two of the best teams in the NBA. As for Pritchard, it'll be business as usual in pursuit of another win.
