Mar 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) looks to the basket in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images David Richard-Imagn Images

The Two Teams That the Cleveland Cavaliers Do Not Want To See in the Playoffs

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Kyle Clements | Last updated Mar 29, 2026 7:50 AM ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently in sole possession of fourth-place in the Eastern Conference, as they have a 46-28 record.

The Cavaliers have a 4.5 game buffer over the Toronto Raptors, and are two games behind the third-place New York Knicks. With just eight games remaining in the Cavaliers regular season, there are two teams that they will not want to face in the postseason.

The New York Knicks currently sit two games ahead of the Cavaliers in the standings, and have given the Cavs fits at various times throughout the season. The Cavaliers went 1-2 against the Knicks this season, with their only win coming at home against the Knicks on February 24.

In a seven game series, the Cavs would have to potentially travel to play in a playoff atmosphere at Madison Square Garden, one of the toughest buildings to play in.

Knicks Getting Hot at the Right Time

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The Knicks have been on fire recently, winning seven of their last eight games. The Knicks match up well with the Cavaliers, as they average 117 points per game compared to the Cavaliers 119.

The Knicks have been better on the boards than Cleveland this season, averaging two more rebounds per game then the Cavaliers. The Knicks also shoot better from beyond than the Cavaliers, with a 37.4 percentage compared to the Cavs 36.1 percentage.

Cavaliers Fans Should Hope Cavs Avoid Celtics in Playoffs

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Another team the Cavaliers could have trouble with if they run into them in the postseason is the Boston Celtics. The Celtics swept the Cavaliers in the regular season, going 3-0, including a 109-98 win over the Cavaliers in Cleveland on March 8. The Celtics, like the New York Knicks, are on a heater right now, as they've won six of their last seven games.

Celtics Better Than Cavaliers in Several Key Metrics

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The Celtics can match the Cavs at what is maybe Clevelands strength, which is their depth and ability to get production from their bench.

The Celtics have seven players on their roster who are currently averaging 9.8 points or more per game, with guard Jaylen Brown leading the Celtics with 28.6 points per game.

The Celtics also rebound at a better clip than the Cavaliers, with 46.5 rebounds per game compared to the Cavaliers 44.3. In the Celtics last win over the Cavaliers on March 8, they out-rebounded the Cavs 49-42 while shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc compared to the Cavs 29 percent. Boston, like New York, is a difficult place to play in, and if the two should meet up it is looking more likely like Boston would have home-court advantage.