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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics prediction: Who will win Game 3 in NBA playoffs?

akron beacon journal
·2 min read

After the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked many by routing the Celtics in Boston in Game 2 to even the series 1-1, they look to build on that Saturday night at home in Game 3.

Here's how our two writers who've followed the Cavs all season, Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich, view Game 3. So far, they are both 8-1 in picking the winner of Cavs playoff games. Their lone loss? Game 2 in Boston on Thursday.

Follow along for Cavs Game 3 updates: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics live score updates for Game 3 of NBA playoffs

Cavs vs. Celtics prediction: Who wins Game 3 Saturday night?

LEWIS: It's possible the Cavaliers have already seen the hottest and coldest the Celtics offense will be in this series. The Cavs do get some credit for that, as the 48 hours of film study proved to be worthwhile. It's strange that the Cavs seemingly have to play their worst before they show their best, but that's been their story this season. The Cavs delivered a wake-up call in Game 2 and now get to return home. But this Celtics team has a lot of firepower, and the Game 2 beatdown might have shaken them into back into form. Celtics 113, Cavs 106

Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert drives against Celtics forward Xavier Tillman in the second quarter during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, May 9, 2024, in Boston.
Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert drives against Celtics forward Xavier Tillman in the second quarter during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, May 9, 2024, in Boston.

ULRICH: Say whatever you want about the Cavs, but they are not boring. They deserve every ounce of credit imaginable for their stunning turnaround after Game 1. It allowed them to earn their first playoff road win during the J.B. Bickerstaff era in Game 2 and tie the series 1-1. But when have the 2023-24 Cavs been consistent? The answer is they haven’t been in the postseason, and they haven’t been in the regular season since before the All-Star break in mid-February. It’s part of the reason why I’m going with the Celtics in Game 3. The other part is I’m still convinced the Celtics are better. If the Cavs are at their best, there is now proof they can upset the Celtics. Still, no one knows which version of the Cavs will show up on any given night, and it obviously could be a problematic trend in a best-of-seven series. Celtics 111, Cavs 105

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Cavs vs Celtics prediction for Game 3 of NBA playoff series