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Jarrett Allen has been ruled out of Game 3 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics at home in the 2024 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference semis. Allen has missed the last five games and remains day-to-day for the Cavaliers.
Jarrett Allen's status for Game 3 vs Celtics
As per the Cavaliers' injury report, Allen is not available for Saturday's Game 3 against the Celtics, as he's dealing with a right rib contusion. Allen suffered the injury in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Orlando Magic. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Allen hasn't felt comfortable with the injury and didn't practice before Game 2, either.
Jarrett Allen's return could bolster Cavaliers' chances of competing against Celtics
The Cavaliers surprisingly stole Game 2 on the Celtics' home floor with a 118-94 blowout win. Donovan Mitchell dropped 29 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, while Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert had 21 points each. Three others scored in double digits, too.
The Cavaliers dominated the paint, exposing the Celtics' interior defense in Kristaps Porzingis' absence, scoring 60 points. That's a good sign for the team's offense, considering it's a sustainable way to score consistently. That impact could have been greater if Jarrett Allen was also available.
His ability as a lob threat in pick and rolls with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell could bother the Porzingis-less Celtics. Boston has other backup bigs that match his size, but Allen's skills give him the edge.
He was in solid form before getting injured, averaging 17.0 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in four outings against the Magic, shooting 67.6%. The Cavaliers will hope Allen's comeback process trends in the right direction ahead of the home games before the series shifts to Boston.
How to watch Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 3?
ABC will nationally broadcast the Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Game 3, while NBC Sports Boston and Bally Sports will cover the game locally. Fans outside the US can catch live action online via NBA League Pass. Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Celtics remain the hot favorites to win Game 3 despite the lopsided Game 2 loss. They are -345 favorites to win with a -8.5 spread.
