NBA: East’s Elite Aim to Keep It Rolling

The Cavaliers and the Celtics were represented well during the NBA All-Star Weekend, as they’ve been among the league’s elite teams this season occupying the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference. Before the break, Boston and Cleveland had built winning streaks, and they want to keep it going when they hit the road to take on Philadelphia and Brooklyn, respectively, on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Grizzlies, Magic, Bulls, Clippers, Hornets, Suns, and Lakers will also visit the Pacers, Hawks, Knicks, Bucks, Nuggets, Spurs, and Blazers. Like the Cavaliers and Celtics, the Nuggets had also built a winning run before the All-Star break, and the SBOTOP NBA 2025 odds favour them to stay unbeaten.

We’re back to regular programming after a few days of no basketball with a nine-game slate. Continue reading below for the previews of the top three games across the Association.

Boston Celtics @ Philadelphia Sixers

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are fresh from winning the NBA All-Star trophy as part of Shaq’s OGs squad. Some argue that Tatum should’ve won All-Star MVP over Stephen Curry because he performed well in San Francisco.

Before the break, the Celtics have won seven of their last eight matches. In their most recent win against the Spurs, Tatum spearheaded the charge with 32 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, and four three-pointers on 12-for-25 shooting from the field.

Before the NBA All-Star break, the Celtics had won seven of their last eight matches — Boston Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum talk during an NBA clash against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden

Jaylen Brown has missed Boston’s last two games due to a knee injury. However, he played on Sunday, which bodes well for his status ahead of their game against Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Jrue Holiday has been out in the past four games due to a shoulder injury, and he’s questionable at best for Thursday.

The Sixers lost five straight matches before the break, so they’re keen to return to winning ways as soon as possible. In their most recent defeat against the Nets, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid were among those who were absent, while Paul George inexplicably only had two points in 37 minutes.

Philadelphia are unsure whether Maxey and Embiid are 100-per cent fit against Boston, so they signed Lonnie Walker IV to a two-year contract to add depth to their depleted roster.

Betting tip – Boston Celtics Asian Handicap -7.50 @ 1.88

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Brooklyn Nets

The Cavaliers have won eight of their last nine games before the All-Star break. With a 44-10 record, they are level with the Thunder as having the best record in the league.

Cleveland secured three consecutive double-digit wins over Washington, Minnesota, and Toronto. The game against the Raptors was one of the Cavaliers’ most well-rounded performances this season, as seven players scored double-digit points. Donovan Mitchell led with 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists on 6-for-16 shooting from the field. De’Andre Hunter, Sam Merrill, Darius Garland, Max Strus, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley added 18, 16, 15, 14, 13, and 12 points.

As mentioned, the Nets recently defeated the Sixers before the break, extending their unbeaten run to three consecutive games. D’Angelo Russell had 22 points, five rebounds, and four assists on 9-for-15 shooting from the field. It was his first 20-point outing since January 25. Trendon Watford, Cameron Johnson, and Nic Claxton added 18, 16, and 13 points.

Brooklyn have a puncher’s chance to qualify in the play-in tournament, as they’re the 12^th seed with a 20-34 record, level with the 11^th-seeded Philadelphia.

Betting tip – Cleveland Cavaliers Asian Handicap -12.50 @ 1.90

Charlotte Hornets @ Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets remain the most in-form team in the league, as they’ve won eight consecutive matches before the All-Star break. Denver have a 36-19 record, good for the third seed in the Western Conference.

Denver recorded back-to-back double-digit victories over Portland. In the second game of the back-to-back set, Jamal Murray went off for 55 points (career-high), four rebounds, five assists, and seven three-pointers on 20-for-36 from the field. Co-star Nikola Jokic recorded his 25th triple-double this season with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists on 11-for-20 shooting from the field.

Nikola Jokic represented the Nuggets in San Francisco, playing for Chuck’s Global Stars. However, his team came up short in the final against Shaq’s OGs.

The Hornets’ game against the Nuggets will be their second match in two days, as they’ll have to take on the Lakers tomorrow. Charlotte are in a poor run of NBA 2025 results, losing nine of their last 10.

Star point guard LaMelo Ball (ankle) is probable for Wednesday after missing the team’s last game before the All-Star break. He has been Charlotte’s best player this season, averaging 27.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game across 33 appearances.

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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