Cavaliers Boast Tough Test For Celtics in Easter Sunday’s Heavyweight Bout

The Celtics have been preparing all season for the grind of the Eastern Conference playoffs. But time and time again against the conference's top playoff contenders, they've come up short. Four straight losses to Atlanta. Three of four to Orlando. Two of three to Cleveland — so far.

When the C's take the floor on Easter Sunday against the Cavaliers, they'll get one last chance to prove they can hold their own against a top East team. They've put in the work, they've gone over the X's and O's, they've watched all the film they can. Now, with all the pride in the world on the line, it's time to get out there and play.

When and Where

Celtics (47-28) vs. Cavaliers (60-16)
Sunday, April 4, 1 p.m. (ABC)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

Head to Head

Things looked good for the Celtics against the Cavaliers when they won the season opener back in October, winning 95-89 at Quicken Loans Arena to start the season 1-0. Since then, though, Boston has fallen on hard times in this matchup. The Cavs have won back-to-back games over the C's in convincing fashion, and LeBron James' point totals against the Celtics this season have been 38, 36 and 30. This is the Celtics' last chance to salvage a split in the season series.

Key Matchup

Paul Pierce vs. LeBron James
Remember that Sunday afternoon at the Garden back in the 2008 playoffs, when Pierce and LeBron matched each other basket for basket all day, and the Celtics finished the Cavs off in the East semifinals behind 41 points from their captain? Well, that probably won't happen again. Pierce is two years older and two years slower, and it would be a surprise if he overpowered the Cavs' superstar on this particular Sunday afternoon. But if Pierce, perhaps with a little help from Tony Allen off the bench, can contain LeBron this time out, the Celtics have a chance. Guard him close, make everything difficult, give him no open looks. The C's need a solid effort on LeBron to win this game.

Starting Lineups

Celtics
Point guard: Rajon Rondo
Shooting guard: Ray Allen
Small forward: Paul Pierce
Power forward: Kevin Garnett
Center: Kendrick Perkins

Cavaliers
Point guard: Mo Williams
Shooting guard: Anthony Parker
Small forward: LeBron James
Power forward: Antawn Jamison
Center: J.J. Hickson

Stat Sheet

Celtics

• Rajon Rondo has 724 assists this season, an all-time Celtics single-season record.
• Kevin Garnett has averaged 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds in his career against Cleveland.
• Kendrick Perkins has 129 blocks this season, a team high. He's had four seasons of 100-plus in his career.

Cavaliers

• LeBron James leads the NBA in scoring with 29.7 points per game. He won his first scoring title in 2007-08, averaging 30.0, and he has a narrow lead over Kevin Durant in his quest for a second.
• Daniel Gibson is shooting 48.0 percent from 3-point range, the second-best mark in the NBA.
• Antawn Jamison has now played 20 games in a Cleveland uniform. He has averaged 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest.

Black and Blue

Celtics

• Kendrick Perkins missed two games earlier this week with tendinitis in his left knee. He is now back in action.
• Paul Pierce has persevered through two shoulder stingers this week, one Sunday night against the Spurs and one in practice Tuesday.

Cavaliers

• Shaquille O'Neal practiced with the Cavs on Thursday after missing all of March with a torn thumb ligament. He is still not ready for game action.
• Anderson Varejao has missed three games with a sore left hamstring. He is also back in practice but not yet cleared to play.
• Antawn Jamison suffered a right arm stinger in Friday night's game against Atlanta but should be fine to play Sunday.

Outlook
What's the secret to beating the Cavaliers? Is it stopping LeBron dead in his tracks, or rather is it letting LeBron get his, and clamping down on the supporting cast? Teams have been grappling with this question all season, and the problem is that neither answer really works. The Celtics will need a complete team effort to come up with a win on Sunday afternoon — they need everyone to pitch in against LeBron to limit his open looks and keep him honest, but they also need to make sure none of the talented guys around him goes off, either. It's a tall task, but these Celtics are a tall group of guys.