BOSTON -- The Cleveland Cavaliers will rest LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith in their game Sunday against the Celtics.
"When we qualified last week [for the No. 2 seed], we sort of made a plan for how we want to manage the last period of the season here," Cavs coach David Blatt said before the game. "That was our plan going in, and we just stayed true to that."
The Cavs play the second part of a back-to-back Monday in Cleveland against the Detroit Pistons, and Blatt said that the four players being rested Sunday will be in the lineup against Detroit.
Cleveland's decision to rest players could have an impact on the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The Celtics (37-42) are currently in the No. 7 spot, holding the tiebreaker over the Brooklyn Nets (37-42). A win Sunday by the Celtics coupled with an Indiana loss to Oklahoma City would clinch a playoff berth for Boston.
The Cavs lost to Boston, 99-90, on Friday with Irving and Iman Shumpert out of the lineup and James and Love sitting out the fourth quarter.
Cleveland will start Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova, Shawn Marion, Tristan Thompson and Timofey Mozgov with its big stars sitting out.
"We're 10 strong, we'll be ready," Blatt said.