The Celtics take on the Cavaliers tonight and Boston will be without both Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart.
The franchise is also without Robert Williams (toe) and Jaylen Brown, the latter of whom has been ruled out for the season with a torn ligament in his left wrist.
The Cavaliers, of course, are missing a lot of players. Darius Garland, Larry Nance Jr., Matthew Dellavedova, Taurean Prince, Dylan Windler, Lamar Stevens, and Isaiah Hartenstein are all sidelined. Cedi Osman is questionable for this one with an ankle injury.
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As we await the start of the game, let’s take a look at more notes from Cleveland:
- Hartenstein made Zach Lowe’s annual Luke Walton All-Star list. The 22-year-old, who filled in nicely for while Jarrett Allen for a stretch last month, is averaging five assists per 36 minutes since coming to Cleveland (acquired in the JaVale McGee trade). Hartenstein seems likely to turn down his $1.9 million player option and hit free agency at the end of the season, though as our own Sam Amico wrote, the big man could be back in Cleveland on a longer deal.
- Could Duke’s Jalen Johnson be the Cavaliers’ replacement for Kevin Love? Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report mocks the 6-foot-8 forward to Cleveland in his latest mock draft. Johnson, who was a top high school recruit, is a skilled passer and for what he lacks in shooting, he makes up for in athletism.
- The Cavaliers are 3-13 without Garland in the lineup this season. Check out more nuggets like that in Amico’s latest dribbles.
