(My Sportsbook) - The
Boston Celtics are inches away from the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and will take on the home-tested
Cleveland Cavaliers this afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena.
Boston is 2 1/2 games ahead of the Orlando Magic for the second seed in the conference and has won six in a row, including Friday's 105-98 victory over the Miami Heat in the finale of a five-game homestand. Paul Pierce scored 28 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Glen Davis tallied 22 points for the Celtics, who have won 10 of their last 11 games overall.
Ray Allen scored 21 points and Rajon Rondo chipped in seven points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the win. Boston lost out on a chance to grab the top seed in the East after the Cavs defeated Philadelphia on Friday.
The Celtics will also visit the 76ers on their short two-game homestand before closing out the regular season versus Washington on April 15. Boston is 26-13 away from Beantown, compared to its 34-6 record as the host. Celtics All-Star center Kevin Garnett has missed six straight games with a strained knee and may return against the Wizards.
Cleveland has won three in a row and 16 of its last 18 games. In Friday's 102-92 victory over the Sixers in South Philly, superstar LeBron James scored 27 points, dished out 10 assists to help the Cavs clinch homecourt advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Mo Williams and Wally Szczerbiak had 18 points apiece and combined to drop seven of the 12 three-pointers for Cleveland, which is pulling away from the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA's best record. Delonte West ended with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Zydrunas Ilgauskas chipped in nine boards and seven points.
The Cavs, who are an amazing 38-1 at home this season, have won 15 in a row as the host and are approaching the NBA's all-time best home record of 40-1 set by the Boston Celtics in 1985-86.
Boston is 2-1 against the Cavs this season and has won five of the last eight matchups in the series. The Celtics, though, have lost seven straight and eight of their last nine trips to Quicken Loans Arena.
