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They are the top two teams in the Eastern Conference of the NBA season 2016-17. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 4-0 start is the best they had since the 2000-01 season. It's quite a praiseworthy feat, particularly given the fact that the teams face the normal championship hangover. But the Cavs will have to continue with their good show on Thursday (Nov 3) against the Boston Celtics who are just behind and could dethrone the formers in the playoffs. 

The match, which will be played at the Quicken Loans Arena, the home of the Cavs, will not be of much significance in the long run. Both the Cavs and Celtics have good coaches and there is every possibility of the two locking horns over a potential playoff series. If they do, there will be no dearth of entertainment either.

For the Celtics, it will the second game in as many days and they will miss their big man Al Horford as they did against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday (Nov 2) after he suffered a concussion. They yet won the game 107-100 but there is little doubt that they are a much different side in the absence of the 30-year-old who is one of the best centers in the competition.

It will be interesting to see how Horford's absence will affect the Celtics against the defending champions who have the likes of Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Tristan Thompson in their ranks. The Celtics will be banking on players like Amir Johnson and Isaiah Thomas.

A few more aspects besides individuals' performance that will be interesting to watch in this match are the Cavaliers' ball-movement game against a strong defensive team like the Celtics. It will be interesting to see how Irving penetrates the defense of Avery Bradley.

The match promises to be an exciting 'offense versus defense' affair.

The Celtics hold a 123-75 advantage in the regular season series but there has been very little to differentiate in their last eight meetings. Cleveland won two of the three in the previous season, including a 120-103 victory in the last match-up in March, said a winnersandwhinners.com report.

Cavaliers are predicted to win Thursday's encounter. As per Fear the Sword's prediction, they may win 110-98.

About the match

Time: 8 pm ET

Venue: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland Ohio 

See on: TNT