Sak Sports Blog

The Boston Celtics (25-17, 5th in the East) will be short-handed as they take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. Looking to bounce back from two road losses in Florida, point guard Kyrie Irving is out with a right quad contusion. The Celtics expect him to be available for Wednesday's matchup with the Toronto Raptors. Marcus Smart (illness) has played in all 42 games for the Celtics this season, but will also miss the Nets game. This will be Irving's fifth missed game of the year. Boston is 3-1 in games where Irving hasn't played. Brooklyn is 21-23 and has won four of their last six. A home victory would narrow the gap between the Celtics and Nets to 4.0 games. For more, follow Sak Sports Blog on Twitter Other Articles NFL Divisional Round Reactions NFL Divisional Round Picks NFL Wildcard Weekend Picks The West is Wild and the Regular Season Matters Again Header photo via NESN.com

The 2018-19 NBA season brings some much desired intrigue to the regular season. Without LeBron James, the East will send a new team to the Finals for the first time in eight years. In the West, the Rockets try to close the gap on the Warriors with the addition of Carmelo Anthony. And of course the biggest story: how will LeBron James fare with the Los Angeles Lakers? A new Finals matchup, an exciting MVP race, fresh rookies, and stars on new teams give plenty of reasons to watch the NBA regular season. Here are my predictions for the 16 playoff teams, major awards, and NBA Finals outcome. Eastern Conference Playoff Teams Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks Detroit Pistons Washington Wizards Outside Looking In: Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks LeBron James is finally out of the Eastern Conference after 15 years. The teams must be rejoicing, and the East is totally up...

For the past four years, we've been treated to a historic rivalry: four straight NBA Finals matchups between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. But many are growing weary and fans of the other 28 teams are often left to wonder: what's the point of watching if the same two teams are left in June every year? In 2018, it seemed like the streak would end, as the Cavaliers barely got out of the first round, and the Warriors weren't fully powered. Even a week before the Finals, both teams were down 3-2 in their conference finals matchups. There was a taste of a fantasy where the young Boston Celtics took on the Houston Rockets, with almost every player making their NBA Finals debut. Instead, we had Cavaliers-Warriors, Round 4. That should change next season, and definitely will if one thing happens: LeBron James looks set to leave Cleveland. The Cavaliers would instantly fall out of contention and guarantee we don't get a 5th straight matchup between th...

The Golden State Warriors are heavy favorites to win the NBA Finals, with home-court advantage and a more talented roster on their side. Before the season began, I ranked the Warriors biggest competitors that stood between them and back-to-back championships. You can read the full list here.  In ascending order, I ranked the Celtics, Thunder, Rockets, Spurs and Cavaliers are the teams with the best chances to dethrone Golden State in the playoffs. There's been some major shakeups to each of these teams, which certainly affects how I view them today. Courtesy of ABC Sports 5. New Orleans Pelicans (formerly: Boston Celtics) 4. Cleveland Cavaliers (formerly: Oklahoma City Thunder) 3. Oklahoma City Thunder (formerly: Houston Rockets) 2. Boston Celtics (formerly: San Antonio Spurs) 1. Houston Rockets (formerly: Cleveland Cavaliers) The Celtics and Rockets were the biggest upward movers since October: even though Boston lost Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward for ...

The Boston Celtics lost more than just the game to the Cleveland Cavaliers on opening night, as small forward Gordon Hayward, a key acquisition this summer, suffered a devastating injury. Hayward was going up for an alley-oop attempt and came down hard, landing on his leg and not being able to get back up. Many initially feared Hayward had broken his leg, which would've have certainly ended his season.  The official diagnosis that the Celtics have announced is a dislocated ankle and a fractured tibia , or shinbone. Dislocated ankles aren't uncommon in the NBA, and usually sideline a player for at least 6-8 weeks. The bone fracture poses a much larger threat to Hayward's recovery time, as it can take anywhere from 3-6 months to heal. CBS Sports talked with certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts. He said in an absolute best-case scenario, Hayward could start rehabbing in about 12 weeks. This would be in early January, and give him a realistic chance of returni...

After three straight NBA Finals appearances, two championships, and the best regular season in NBA history, it should be no surprise that the Warriors are the team all other NBA teams aspire to beat. Golden State didn't add any major pieces this summer but are still overwhelming favorites to win the West and most likely the NBA championship. Which teams have the best chance of dethroning the Warriors in a seven game series? 5. Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason, trading point guard Isiah Thomas and forward Jae Crowder to the Cavaliers for star Kyrie Irving. Boston also added Gordon Hayward in free agency to create a truly star-studded lineup. PG Kyrie Irving SG Jaylen Brown  SF Gordon Hayward PF Marcus Morris C Al Horford This starting five honestly has the ability to play toe-to-toe with Warriors and maybe even beat them on any given night.  But in a best-of-seven series? Forget about it....