Cavs' Playoff Path Just Got Easier Following Injury News to Rival
The Cleveland Cavaliers finally see their fortunes turn around ahead of the NBA Playoffs.
By Cem Yolbulan
The Cleveland Cavaliers are having a star-crossed season as serious injuries to Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley have forced all of them to miss over 20 games. Despite these misfortunes, the Cavs have managed to overachieve all season and currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 46-31 record.
They now have their full complement of players back ahead of the postseason and still have a chance to get 2-seed with five more games to play. Regardless, it's all but guaranteed that the Cavs will have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
One thing they can hang their hat on is the fact that they are not the only Eastern Conference team dealing with injuries.
In fact, their potential first-round opponents, the New York Knicks just received an awful update on Julius Randle. The All-Star forward will miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.
Cavaliers Eastern Conference Championship Odds
This certainly makes Cleveland's playoff path much easier. The Knicks are a much easier team to beat without Randle and it looks like they might be missing their defensive stalwart OG Anunoby as well.
The Knicks are currently in fifth place but only two games ahead of the Miami Heat. If they fall to sixth place, they would face the Cavs. Cleveland might similarly fall to fourth place and face the Knicks if New York maintains their current seeding.
This would set up a rematch of last season's first-round series. Despite having home-court advantage, Cleveland was upset by the Knicks who dominated the Cavs in the paint and on the boards. With more experience under their belt and a deeper roster, the Cavs should be heavily favored in a potential rematch.
In fact, the Cavs currently have the fourth-best odds in the East (+1200) to make the NBA Finals. If things break their way and get favorable matchups, they could easily find themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals. Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook now and claim your sign-up bonus of $200 after your first winning wager if you want to get in on the action ahead of the NBA Playoffs.
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