Cavaliers at Celtics
Tipoff: TD Garden, Boston, 3 p.m.
Records: Cavaliers 51-28; Celtics 37-42.
TV: FOX Sports Ohio. Radio: WTAM-AM 1100 flagship; WAKR-AM 1590 Akron.
Projected Starters
Cavaliers: C Timofey Mozgov; PF Tristan Thompson; SF Shawn Marion; SG Iman Shumpert; PG Matthew Dellavedova.
Celtics: C Tyler Zeller; PF Brandon Bass; SF Evan Turner; SG Avery Bradley; PG Marcus Smart.
Injury Report
Cavaliers: F LeBron James (rest) out; PG Kyrie Irving (rest) out; PF Kevin Love (rest) out; SG J.R. Smith (rest) out; G Iman Shumpert (quad) probable; C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) out.
Celtics: None to report.
Dribbles
1. This is the time of year when you'll need to be a really, really big NBA fan to care. Either that, or a Celtics fan.
2. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith are all resting. The Cavs are 2-9 without LeBron. They're highly likely to be 0-1 with the starting lineup they're using Sunday.
3. Either way, the Cavs don't care whether they play the Celtics, Pacers, or 1987 World Champion Lakers in the first-round of the playoffs. I promise, they really don't. They're not afraid of anyone, and they don't mind being challenged. In fact, some of them would prefer to play a tougher team right away. "Keeps us sharp," said one member of the Cavs.
4. Right now, though, it's looking more and more like the Celtics. The Heat can't get their act together and the Pacers may have fallen too far behind early in the season. So it'll probably be the Celtics. Or perhaps the Nets, owners of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
5. Cavs coach David Blatt on the playoffs: "Whomever we draw, that's isn't something we're planning for or trying to arrange. That's not at all a thought in our minds. Our thought is we want to keep guys in rhythm and at the same time rest them and come to the first playoff game in the best possible shape."
6. Blatt said he has already determined who will sit out Monday vs. the Pistons and the season-finale Wednesday vs. the Wizards.
7. And no, he has no plans to share that information until just before tip-off of each game. So don't ask. And frankly, don't care.
8. More Blatt: "It's a little bit of a different situation from the 78 games we played to this point. It's important to play the right players and for them to play hard, while also looking for the possibility of resting guys where we see fit, both in terms of games and in minutes."
