Both sides could be missing key player’s for Sunday’s matchup.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics won’t be at full strength for their meeting on Sunday. The Cavs will be without Dean Wade who is missing his sixth straight game with a left ankle sprain. The Celtics could be without Kristaps Porzingis (knee), Jrue Holiday (hip), Derrick White (foot), and Al Horford (toe). All four are questionable for the game on Sunday.
Wade went down with his ankle injury in the third quarter of Cleveland’s Nov. 17 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He has played 13 games this season and started seven. He’s averaging 5.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on .393/.353/.417 shooting splits this season.
Wade is crucial to what the Cavs do defensively, but his absence is felt more against a team like Boston which has versatile offensive pieces that can play multiple positions. The Cavs don’t have many defenders who can guard multiple positions the way Wade can.
The Cavs were missing Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, and Wade in their first meeting of the season. Okoro and LeVert are available to play which will be beneficial for Cleveland. Max Strus remains out for Sunday’s game.
The Celtics could be without multiple key players. Porzingis is working his way back from a knee injury that kept him out at the beginning of the season. He’s only played two games so far for Boston.
Holiday has been on and off the injury report for the last few weeks, first with a knee injury. Now, he’s questionable with a right hip injury. In that time, he only missed Boston’s Nov. 16 win over the Toronto Raptors.
White exited the game early on Friday as he injured his foot in the Celtics win over the Chicago Bulls. Horford could miss with a toe injury. This is an injury he’s been playing through recently.
The Cavs and Celtics will tip off Sunday at 6 PM.
