Down 0–1, Cavaliers Set to Face Celtics Without Key Big Man in Game 2 at TD Garden

The Cleveland Cavaliers were no match to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, as the 17-time NBA champions hammered them 120-95 at the TD Garden to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Cavaliers’ odds of upstaging the title favorites are already low and the only way they could pull off the upset is if all their stars play the entire series in peak form.

Among those stars is center Jarrett Allen, who missed the last three games of the Cavaliers’ 4-3 series win over the Orlando Magic and Game 1 against the Celtics. The veteran suffered a rib contusion in Cleveland’s Game 4 loss in Orlando after getting elbowed by Franz Wagner.

This is my first time seeing the replay of Jarrett Allen's injury. If this elbow was hard enough to "pierce" Allen's rib, then this was 100% a deliberate cheap shot. F**k Franz Wagner. Get Marcus in there to issue a Code Red. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/qQz3btpaza

— Roberto Shenanigans (@Rob_Shenanigans) May 3, 2024

The injury looked innocuous but was more serious than it seemed in real time. The Cavaliers had hoped they’d get him back for Game 2 against the Celtics at the TD Garden, but unfortunately, he likely won’t recover in time.

While he has been upgraded to ‘Questionable’ on the NBA’s latest injury report, league insider Shams Charania gave a clearer indication about the extent of his injury on the ‘Run It Back’ podcast. He said,

“He hasn’t been feeling comfortable at all with that rib contusion and that’s an injury where anything you do on the basketball court. … You feel it all the time,” Charania said. “The word[s] I keep hearing [are] ‘really uncomfortable.'”

https://streamable.com/dlbk8p?src=player-page-share

Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, it seems they’ll have to face the Celtics in Game 2 without their star center, hoping he feels better and can suit up for Game 3 in Cleveland.

How have the Cavaliers fared without Jarrett Allen?

The Cavaliers haven’t had to play many games without Jarrett Allen this season. The center has had a clean bill of health and missed only five games during the regular season. Cleveland had a 2-3 record in the games that Allen missed before the playoffs.

Even the limited sample size indicates how critical Allen is for the Cavaliers. His replacement in the starting lineup, forward Isaac Okoro, is a solid rotation piece but isn’t as ominous in the paint as the veteran center. The Celtics’ players would be relieved that they don’t have to contend against Allen for at least another game.

The Cavaliers will play Game 3 in Cleveland on Saturday, giving the medical staff and the center only two more days to recover and be ready to play. If he remains sidelined, the series could be a wrap, regardless of whether he’s good to go in Game 4.