The Boston Celtics are starting to look like the pseudo-contender most projected they'd be, and a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night—their seventh in eight games—could go a long way in shaping how they're perceived around the league. And maybe even how they perceive themselves.
Not that any of that would matter to the Cavs. But it at least would do the Celtics some good.
Boston is finally healthy, with the sixth-best net rating and a top-10 defense over its last seven games. Isaiah Thomas is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Marcus Smart is getting to the free-throw line and knocking down threes, Al Horford is more aggressive with the ball, and it's safe to say this group has never looked better.
In other words, the timing could not be more ideal for a road test against the defending champions.
Cleveland won't have J.R. Smith for Thursday night's showdown and is a comfortable 23-7 (23-4 when LeBron James suits up). But one game in late Dec ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Michael Pina