NBA Cup games are supposed to hold a little extra meaning and, therefore, bring out the very best of players/teams and deliver with entertaining games. That should certainly be the case on Cup Night on Tuesday, Nov. 19, as the two best teams currently in the league will be squaring off. The 15-0 Cleveland Cavaliers are set to take on the defending champion Boston Celtics, and in this article, we will detail everything that you need to know about that game.
When and where is the Cavaliers vs. Celtics game?
The undefeated Cavaliers will take their winning streak to arguably the biggest venue in the NBA: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The game is the first Cup Night game on Tuesday, Nov. 19, as it tips off at 7 p.m. ET.
How to watch the NBA Cup
While the majority of NBA Cup games are broadcast locally/on NBA League Pass, there are two games that will be nationally televised on Nov. 19. The Cavaliers vs. Celtics game is one of them, as it will be broadcast on TNT.
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 19 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: TD Garden — Boston Massachusetts
TV channel: TNT | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Odds: Celtics -220
Cavaliers storylines
The Cavaliers are currently tied for the second-longest undefeated streak in NBA history. They’ve won each of their first 15 games, and a win against the Celtics will allow them to surpass the 1993-94 Houston Rockets and the 1948-49 Washington Capitals and move into sole possession of second place, which would get them closer to the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors’ record of 24 straight wins to start a season.
Cleveland has been dominant on the offensive end so far. They are first in scoring with 123.7 points per game. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland lead the way in the scoring department, as both are above 20 points per game, but everyone else is knocking down shots, too. Jarrett Allen has been a great play-finisher, and Evan Mobley has opened up his game and taken the next step in his offensive development.
Mobley was viewed as a unicorn prospect coming into the NBA, but he only showed flashes early in his career. Now, he is starting to put everything together and consistently do things that a seven-footer shouldn’t be able to do on the basketball court. Everyone outside of the big four is playing great as well.
Ty Jerome has emerged as one of the best backup point guards in the NBA, and Caris LeVert is thriving as a spark plug sixth-man. Those two make six players who are averaging double-digit scoring figures. Dean Wade, Isaac Okoro, Sam Merrill, and Georges Niang are all knocking down three-point shots and an incredible clip, too.
As a team, the Cavaliers are shooting an unbelievable 41.9% from deep. If Cleveland keeps it up, they have to be looked at as NBA Finals favorites, which is something not many would have predicted coming into the season.
Celtics storylines
The Celtics might have something to say about the Cavaliers’ championship odds, though, and they will be by far Cleveland’s toughest challenge yet. Fresh off of a championship victory, the Celtics have been pretty dominant in their own right. Boston is 11-3, and they actually rank second in scoring (121.6).
The Celtics’ only losses were an overtime defeat to the Indiana Pacers, a close loss to a Golden State Warriors team that is also playing great, and a one-point loss against the Atlanta Hawks. For most of the season, the Celtics have still looked like the best team in the NBA, and they’ve done it without Kristaps Porzingis.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown form one of the best duos in the NBA, and Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are among the best defensive players in the league. Al Horford is, of course, still providing his veteran presence that has helped Boston for years now. It is another player who has stepped up and taken the Celtics to another level, though.
That player is Payton Pritchard. The backup guard has played a small role off the bench in recent seasons, but he is now averaging 15.5 points per game. Boston having yet another major scoring threat on their roster is a scary proposition for the rest of the league, especially considering White’s offensive development over the last year-plus.
Regardless of the outcome, this is the most anticipated game of the NBA season so far. So, will the Cavaliers remain unbeaten, or will the Celtics remind everyone why they came into the year as championship favorites?
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