The Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers continue their quest to Eastern Conference supremacy in the NBA Playoffs with a semi-final matchup slated to tip-off tonight at 6 PM Central Time. Both teams have faced each other three times so far in the regular season, with Boston winning two of those matchups. Both teams will be without their big men to start this matchup as Kristaps Porzingas and Jarret Allen are both out and are questionable for this series. Here is how the rest of the matchups should shake out for this Eastern Conference Semifinal.

Backcourt:

The backcourt matchup I believe is the most important matchup in this series. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday vs Darius Garland and Donavan Mitchell. Derrick White has the highest true shooting percentage of anyone in the playoffs at 74.3% while Jrue Holiday has played his staple of on ball defense in their first round series vs the Heat even though he hasn’t shot it well from the field so far. Neither are being asked to shoulder the load of the offense that job is Jayson Tatum’s and Jaylen Brown’s job, but if they can match anything that the dynamic duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland produce, this series may be over in four games. Donovan Mitchell has been lights out so far in the playoffs averaging 28.7 Points per game, but it’s been Garland who has been inconsistent with his scoring at 14.9 points per game. If the Cavs are going to have a chance Garland is going to have to keep up with Donovan Mitchell.

Advantage: Cavs

Frontcourt:

I don’t believe I’d have to spend too much time on this one. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford vs Isaac Okoro, Max Struss, Evan Mobley. This is about as one sided as it gets for the Boston Celtics and if Porzingas was playing it would be a landslide. Jarret Allen makes it interesting because the size Boston will have to deal with between Allen and Mobley could frustrate them, but it’s the scoring prowess of Boston’s two superstars. There isn’t a better tandem in the league in my opinion when it comes to scoring between these two, especially on the biggest stage.

Advantage: Boston

Coaching:

For the last two seasons Joe Mazulla has had his Celtics in the top two spots of the Eastern Conference. He has the highest winning percentage of any coach in NBA history with more than 150 games. He has turned these Celtics into not only the best three-point shooting team on makes in the NBA, but they are the number one rated offense and number 3 rated defense in the NBA. He has this team playing lights out on both ends of the court.

Advantage: Boston

X-Factor:

The Boston Celtics Three-point shooting will be the X-Factor. They are the best in the NBA at made three pointers at 16.5 made threes per game, first in attempts at 42.5 per game, and they are second in the league in three-point shooting percentage at 38.5%. In a nutshell nobody in the league takes and makes the most three pointers, an emphasis they came into the season with. If the Cavs can limit the onslaught that Boston presents, they may have a chance but Boston has proven time and time again to be consistent all season in this department.

Prediction:

Boston wins 4 -1