Scalabrine On NBA Playoffs: Cavaliers Matchup Would Be Daunting Task For Celtics
BOSTON (CBS) - TV analyst and former player Brian Scalabrine joined Toucher & Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub to discuss the surging Celtics and their potential heading into the postseason and beyond.
With two games remaining in the regular season for Boston, the Celtics have all but clinched the No. 7 seed in the East, which would earn them a first round series with the No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers.
The C's are coming off consecutive wins against the Cavs as Cleveland head coach David Blatt decided to rest the majority of his starters including LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith since they are locked in as the No. 2 seed in the East.
"Can they make some noise? Can they steal a game? At the end of the day it's going to be very difficult to do because this [Cavaliers] team has very little weaknesses when they play their whole squad healthy," said Scalabrine.
Scalabrine noted that when LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love all play together, the Cavaliers are 29-3.
"Defensively it's going to be tough throughout the whole entire playoffs for whoever faces the Cleveland Cavaliers," said Scalabrine.
While the Celtics are winners of four straight and have certainly exceeded expectations in the second half of the season, a playoff matchup against Cleveland appears to be a formula for an early postseason exit.
Scalabrine spoke about how the Celtics will have roster flexibility in the offseason with a lot of movable pieces and five draft picks in this summer's draft.
"I want all these guys back, but at the end of the day, if you have to move five guys to get Kawhi Leonard, then you do it. You've got to go in with an open mind," said Scalabrine.
The Celtics host the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night at 7:30 pm for the last home game of the regular season.
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