The Cleveland Cavaliers have listed five players — Emoni Bates, Ty Jerome, Caris LeVert, Evan Mobley and Ricky Rubio — on their injury report ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Boston Celtics.
Jerome, Bates, Mobley and Rubio have all been ruled out for the Cavaliers, while LeVert is questionable to play with a left knee injury.
Meanwhile, the Celtics aren’t dealing with any injuries at the moment and have started the 2023-24 regular season off with a bang. Boston’s 16-5 record is the best in the Eastern Conference at this juncture and the second-best in the entire league behind only the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are 17-5.
Part of the reason why the Celtics have been dominant to begin the season is their juggernaut of a starting lineup. Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis comprise what is quite possibly the most talented starting unit of any team in the NBA.
After getting eliminated in the In-Season Tournament by Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers back on Dec. 4, the Celtics responded by winning their next game on Dec. 8 against the New York Knicks.
Surprisingly, it was White who was debatably the Celtics’ best player in their win over the Knicks. He dropped a team-high 30 points to go along with three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks while shooting 10-of-16 from the field and 6-of-10 from 3-point range.
Tatum and Porzingis also put together notable performances. The former finished with 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal in 39 minutes of play, while the latter ended up with 21 points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals against his former team.
Even with a completely healthy squad, a matchup against the Celtics would be difficult. But the fact that the Cavaliers will be without one of their best players in Mobley will make it especially challenging for Cleveland to come away with a win.
Following Tuesday’s matchup against the Celtics, the Cavaliers will play Boston on the road once again on Thursday.
