GT: Cleveland Cavaliers (4-11) @ Boston Celtics (6-11), 730 PM

[Uncle Drew]

Wooo.....

The last time the Boston Celtics dropped five in a row at home, they were a season away from beginning the Big Three era. With Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen all gone, long losing streaks on their own court might happen more frequently.

Boston has been a streaky team during this rebuilding season, and it will try to avoid losing five straight at home for the first time in almost seven years when it meets the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

The Celtics opened 2012-13 with four consecutive losses before winning four in a row. They followed that streak with a six-game slide, then won two straight on the road prior to Wednesday's 100-93 defeat to Memphis.

It was the fourth straight loss at TD Garden for the Celtics, who haven't endured a five-game skid there since dropping 13 straight in 2006-07. Ten of those defeats were part of a franchise-record 18-game overall losing streak that occurred one season before they acquired Garnett and Allen.

Allen left for Miami following the 2011-12 season, and Pierce and Garnett were traded to Brooklyn in June. Coach Doc Rivers is now with the Los Angeles Clippers, leaving first-year NBA coach Brad Stevens with the task of leading the Celtics back to greatness.

Stevens' team is off to a rough start, especially on the offensive end. The Celtics are 24th in the NBA with 92.9 points and 17.0 turnovers per game.

Boston (6-11) shot 42.7 percent against the Grizzlies and was held below 95 points for the 11th time. It's averaging 88.5 points during the four straight home losses.

"It's certainly not the atmosphere; the atmosphere has been great," Stevens said. "Of all the atmospheres I've been in in the NBA, and I haven't been here very long, this is by far my favorite. With the passion and how loud the fans are. ... At the end of the day we need to get better at home, we need to get better on the road, we need to become a better basketball team."

The same can be said for the Cavaliers, whose skid reached a season-high four with Wednesday's 95-84 loss to the visiting Heat.

Cleveland (4-11) has also had trouble offensively, ranking right behind Boston with 92.6 points per game while sitting 27th in the league with a 41.8 shooting percentage.

Since beating Philadelphia 127-125 in double overtime Nov. 9, the Cavaliers have averaged 91.3 points in losing seven of eight. Six of their 11 defeats have been by more than 10 points.

"Everyone else can write us off. But in this locker room, we believe in each other. We're going to figure this out," said point guard Kyrie Irving, who leads the team with 21.0 points per game but is shooting 40.4 percent.

Making matters worse, a report recently surfaced saying the Cavaliers are trying to trade second-year guard Dion Waiters, who denied he asked to be moved and insists he loves playing in Cleveland.

"It's just nonsense," said Waiters, the fourth overall pick in 2012. "There's been things thrown out there that haven't been true at all."

Cleveland, which is 1-8 on the road, has split its last six regular-season games in Boston after losing 17 of its previous 21 visits.

Karasev to start tonight at the SG position. Olynyk out and Lee is a game time decision for the Celtics. We need a win on the road.

[MP.Trey]

Start Bennett at SG, Mike Brown. Might as well.

[Uncle Drew]

12-2 Celtic start We rock.

[MP.Trey]

lolcavs. Just force feed Bynum and stand around on offense, and let's leave shooters wide open on D.

[Uncle Drew]

Won't be long before Utah has a better record than us. So, Wiggins or Parker?

[Meticode]

I don't care very much about the game or what the Cavaliers are doing at this point with how horrible things are going. I'm hopeful for a Cavaliers lost, therefore inching the front office closer to a Mike Brown firing or at least some sort of change.

[Meticode]

lolcavs. Just force feed Bynum and stand around on offense, and let's leave shooters wide open on D.

From the sounds of it, doesn't seem like I'm missing much, but the same old shitty ran offense.

[FatComputerNerd]

WTF

[Meticode]

Let me know how good rookie NBA coach Brad Stevens out-coaches Mike Brown. Stevens has done a great job considering the squad he has and those players are fully behind him too.

[MP.Trey]

19-4 now Going for another #1 pick.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Damn Cavs have been a disappointment so far. I was really high on them pre season.

[Meticode]

Damn Cavs have been a disappointment so far. I was really high on them pre season.

I remember when Bill Simmons was doing the Grantland team rankings and he had them at 20-someting and I think Jalen Rose disagreed and felt they should be higher. At this point Simmons ranking was too high.

[Purch]

[MP.Trey]

Varejao's the only player for the Cavs doing anything positive right now. Heart and soul of this team.

EDIT: First catch and shoot attempt of the game!!! Jack to Waiters!

[RoundMoundOfReb]

I remember when Bill Simmons was doing the Grantland team rankings and he had them at 20-someting and I think Jalen Rose disagreed and felt they should be higher. At this point Simmons ranking was too high.

Yeah it's really strange. A lot of talent on the roster + a pathetic conference should mean success. Brown isn't good but he can't be THAT bad right? There has to be something else.