Cavaliers at Celtics
The Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to debut their four newcomers when they visit the rival Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon. Playing without newly acquired players George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood - each of whom was picked up in the team's series of trades before Thursday's deadline - the Cavaliers rolled to a 123-107 win at Atlanta on Friday.
"It felt like we played together," LeBron James told reporters after recording his 10th triple-double of the season with 22 points, a career-high 19 assists and 12 rebounds. "Offensively and defensively the communication was really high. The ball was moving around. The ball was popping and everybody felt like they were in a good rhythm." The rout of the Hawks gave Cleveland consecutive victories for the first time since the middle of December and it will try to spoil the party in Boston on Sunday, when Celtics great Paul Pierce has his number retired. The Celtics sandwiched a pair of losses around an overtime win at Washington and know they need to do some homework to get ready for Cleveland's new crop of players. "All the film goes out the window, I'll tell you that," All-Star guard Kyrie Irving told reporters after Friday's 97-91 loss to Indiana in the opener of a three-game homestand. "So, I think everyone's kind of at a high anticipation of what they'll look like."
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (32-22): Kyle Korver was one of many Cleveland players who likely sweated out the trade deadline and the veteran celebrated the fact that he got to stick around by pouring in a season-high 30 points at Atlanta. "Man, the ball was moving tonight," Korver - who is 11-for-19 from 3-point range during the two-game winning streak - told reporters. "I don't know the last time I shot that many shots in a game." Korver also matched a season high with 32 minutes played but will cede some of his playing time to the imports, particularly Hood, who averaged 16.8 points while shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc in 39 games with Utah.
ABOUT THE CELTICS (40-17): Boston, which fell percentage points behind Toronto in the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, was held to 98 points or fewer in regulation in each of its last four games and it shot 38.2 percent from the field in Friday's loss. "I thought we started the game really going through the motions and I thought they started the game really playing with great force and purpose," coach Brad Stevens told the media, touching on a season-long issue for a team that has been forced to rally from behind in many games. Irving led the way with 21 points while backup Terry Rozier, who filled in admirably when Irving was sidelined recently with a quad injury, shot 1-for-11 off the bench.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Celtics PF Al Horford is 5-for-5 from 3-point range over his last three home contests.
2. Cavaliers C Tristan Thompson is averaging 13 points - more than double his season average - while shooting 18-for-25 over the last three games.
3. The teams split two earlier meetings, with Rozier scoring 20 points to lead Boston to a 102-88 home win last month.