NBA Notes: Cavs, Schedule, Celtics, Knicks, Three-Point Shooting

Cavaliers

The Cavaliers saw their 12-game winning streak come to an abrupt end with a tough home loss to the Pacers, where they were outscored 68-40 in the second half. That defeat set up a tough week for Cleveland with road games against Indiana, Oklahoma City, and Minnesota.

They managed to get revenge against the Pacers, but the challenges don’t stop there. Oklahoma City will be hungry for revenge, and the Timberwolves, who are starting to resemble their playoff form from last season, will provide a significant test.

Cleveland has shown resilience, but they’ll need to stay sharp to maintain their spot atop the Eastern Conference.

Celtics

After a blistering 19-5 start, the Celtics have cooled off, going just 9-7 over their last 16 games, allowing the Cavaliers to take the lead in the Eastern Conference standings.

The biggest factor in their struggles has been their 3-point shooting, which has dropped to 34.6% (23rd in the league) over that stretch. After a hot start from beyond the arc, their shooting regression has impacted their offensive flow.

Despite these issues, the Celtics remain a strong contender to repeat as champs, but they’ll need to regain their shooting form to keep pace with Cleveland and other top teams.

Knicks

The Knicks are in a tough spot when it comes to shooting from beyond the arc, as they have the league’s worst 3-point shooting percentage (29.9%) over the past 10 games.

Despite this, New York remains the third-most efficient offense in the league, showing they can still generate offense even when their shooting isn’t on point.

They’ve managed to win six of those 10 games, but the real test for them will be how they perform against elite competition.

After a blowout loss to Oklahoma City, the Knicks’ toughest remaining schedule in the NBA will challenge them even more.