The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics will meet Wednesday night at TD Garden with several key players sidelined due to injuries. The Cavaliers enter the matchup at 3-1, while the Celtics are 1-3 on the season.
Cleveland will be without Darius Garland, Sam Merrill, and Max Strus, all recovering from surgery, along with G League call-up Nae’Qwan Tomlin. Garland has been sidelined following left great toe surgery, Strus is out after a left foot Jones fracture repair, and Merrill is unavailable due to a right hip contusion.
The Cavaliers’ top performers remain Donovan Mitchell, who is averaging 31.3 points per game, and Evan Mobley, contributing 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. Jarrett Allen has also been a consistent presence inside with 13.5 points and 7.3 boards per game.
Boston faces significant absences as well, with Jayson Tatum out following right Achilles repair and Ron Harper Jr. sidelined in the G League. Jaylen Brown is listed as probable with a left hamstring strain, and Amari Williams is also unavailable due to a G League assignment.
The Celtics’ offense has relied heavily on Brown, averaging 26 points per game, and Derrick White, contributing 16.5 points and 4.5 assists. Payton Pritchard has added 15.8 points and 5.0 assists, while Sam Hauser and Anfernee Simons provide secondary scoring options.
Cleveland’s depth will be tested, as they will need bench contributors like De’Andre Hunter and Larry Nance Jr. to step up in the absence of Garland and Strus. Hunter is averaging 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds, while Nance Jr. adds 6.8 points and 4.5 boards per game.
Both teams will aim to leverage their healthy starters while managing rotations to compensate for injuries. The Cavaliers are seeking a 4-1 start, while the Celtics hope to gain momentum after a 1-3 start. Wednesday’s game is set for 7:00 PM ET at TD Garden.
