Celtics primed to steal top East spot with LeBron James' Cavs losing to Wizards
Can Boston end up as East's best team?
The Washington Wizards did the Boston Celtics a huge favor on Saturday night beating the Cleveland Cavaliers, 127-115 on the road. With the Wizards’ win, the Cavaliers fell to 47-25 and the Celtics are now half-a-game behind James’ squad in the team standings.
The Celtics did not play on Saturday and have a record of 47-26. They will face the Miami Heat on Sunday and a win will bring them to the top of the Eastern Conference for the first time this season. The Celtics are currently on a three-game winning streak after wins over the Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns.
After the game versus the Heat, Boston will take on the Milwaukee Bucks, another team fighting for a playoff spot in the East. The Bucks are at 37-35 while the Heat are at 35-37. Seven teams, including Milwaukee and Miami, are battling for the final four spots in the Eastern Conference.
The Wizards’ offence saw a balanced contribution from everyone versus the Cavaliers on Saturday. John Wall led the way with 37 points and 11 assists while Bradley Beal scored 27 points. Markief Morris had 14 points and 6 rebounds and Otto Porter Jr. added 10 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
Kelly Oubre Jr. contributed 16 points and 7 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench. Cleveland’s defence struggled against the Wizards, who shot 59.8 percent as a team overall from the field. Washington also outrebounded the Cavaliers, 40-32.
The Cavaliers’ “Big 3” led the way for Cleveland with LeBron James almost hitting a triple-double with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. Kyrie Irving had 23 points while Kevin Love finished with 17 points and 7 rebounds.
Except for Richard Jefferson, who came off the bench to score 10 points, no other Cavalier scored in double figures.
The race for the East’s top spot gets interesting in the final three weeks of the regular season. Cleveland has 10 games left and Boston has nine games left. After the Bucks and Heat, the Celtics will face three more teams bound for the postseason or battling for a playoffs spot. This includes a match-up against the Cavaliers on April 5.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers take on the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Seven of the last nine games by Cleveland will be against playoff contending squads. LeBron James’ squad still have games against the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors.
