CLEVELAND (AP) — The Boston Celtics will try to extend the NBA’s current longest winning streak without two of their starters.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White will both miss Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are looking for redemption after the defending champions handed them their first loss of the season Nov. 19.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Brown is out with a non-COVID illness while White is dealing with a foot sprain suffered in the third quarter of Friday’s win over Chicago.
Brown averages 24.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists while White is the team’s best on-the-ball defender.
Boston has won seven straight heading into its matchup against Cleveland (17-3), which has lost two in a row — both to Atlanta. The Cavs opened the season 15-0 before losing 120-117 on the road to the Celtics two weeks ago.
On a positive note, the Celtics will have starters Kristaps Porzingis (injury management), Al Horford (toe sprain) and Jrue Holiday (adductor tightness) after all three were listed as questionable coming in.
Porzingis missed the first matchup between the Eastern Conference’s top two teams.
His return makes the Celtics even more dangerous as his shooting ability allows Boston to spread the floor and pulls rim-protecting big men like Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen away from the basket.
While the Celtics haven’t been at full strength, Mazzulla has been pleased with the way his team has played lately.
“I like where we’re at,” he said. “We’re playing some good basketball, but we know we can be better, and that’s a healthy place to be. We’re content on how it’s going so far. … I like the fact that we’re not peaking because of the amount of time we’ll have to work through those things.”
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