The Celtics kicked off the hardest stretch of their remaining schedule with a decisive win Sunday in Cleveland.
Jayson Tatum kick-started Boston with a powerful first quarter in his second game back from Achilles surgery, and co-star Jaylen Brown flirted with a triple-double, ending with 23 factors, 9 rebounds and eight assists because the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 109-98 at Rocket Area.
“I believe we did a superb job,” Tatum, who had 20 factors, three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes, mentioned in a postgame interview with ESPN sideline reporter Jorge Sedano. “Clearly, each sport you’ll be able to study one thing, win or lose, however I can’t stress it sufficient: I’m simply completely happy to be out right here taking part in on the crew with the fellows, competing, making performs, making errors. I’m simply completely happy to be out right here.”
The 43-21 Celtics led by as many as 26 factors within the second half, then held off a late cost by the 39-25 Cavs, who now path second-place Boston by 4 video games within the Jap Convention standings.
Payton Pritchard scored 9 of his 18 factors within the closing six minutes to assist put Cleveland away. Pritchard was a team-best plus-18 throughout his 34 minutes off the bench, capturing 7-for-12 and including seven assists. Baylor Scheierman (plus-10 in 26 minutes) additionally was a second-unit difference-maker, going 4-for-6 from 3-point vary to complete with 16 factors and 10 rebounds.
Pritchard and Scheierman each carried out effectively as Celtics starters earlier within the season earlier than shifting into their present bench roles.
“They’ve been taking part in nice all season,” mentioned Tatum, whose return to the lineup Friday evening displaced Scheierman. “It was enjoyable to look at from the sideline. I’m simply completely happy to be on the market making performs with them.”
The Cavs, who gained 15 of their earlier 19 video games, acquired 30 factors from Donovan Mitchell, 24 from Evan Mobley and 19 from James Harden within the loss. Boston’s bench outscored Cleveland’s 41-13.
The Celtics will shut out their three-game highway journey with back-to-back matchups towards the highest two groups within the Western Convention. Boston will go to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday and the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Thursday.
Each groups had been lacking veteran large males Sunday afternoon. Celtics backup middle Nikola Vucevic fractured his proper ring finger Friday evening and is expected to miss a minimum of the following three weeks. The Cavs performed with out starter Jarrett Allen (knee), their second-leading rebounder behind reigning NBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months in Mobley.
The Cavs managed play within the opening minutes, constructing an 11-3 result in set off an early Joe Mazzulla timeout. Mobley scored seven of these factors — two makes on the rim and a 3-pointer over a screened Neemias Queta — and likewise blocked two of Boston’s first eight field-goal makes an attempt.
It didn’t take the Celtics lengthy to shut that hole. A 12-2 run after the stoppage put Boston forward, with Tatum main the cost.
Throughout one 3 1/2-minute stretch halfway by means of the primary quarter, Tatum tallied 12 factors, two rebounds and an help. He hit a turnaround midrange jumper over Sam Merrill, pulled up for a 3-pointer, drove by means of a number of Cavs defenders for back-to-back layups and drew a three-shot foul on Dean Wade. He additionally fed a well-placed bounce cross to Derrick White, springing the guard for a wide-open dunk.
After misfiring on his first six photographs in Friday’s win over Dallas, Tatum began this sport 4-for-5 earlier than cooling off (6-for-16 for the sport). The Celtics led 22-20 when he headed to the bench for the primary time.
Brown, who performed all the first quarter, took over from there, hitting an and-one jumper on the following Boston possession. He had seven factors and two assists within the closing 3:06 of the quarter because the Celtics stretched their result in 35-26.
Boston closed the opening interval on a 32-15 run, with Pritchard and Luka Garza including 3-pointers off the bench. Garza might be an vital participant for the Celtics down the stretch, as Vucevic’s damage pushed the 27-year-old large man again into Mazzulla’s rotation.
Tatum and Brown each started the second quarter on the bench, however the ice-cold Cavs couldn’t capitalize towards Boston’s reserves. Cleveland scored simply three factors over the primary eight-plus minutes of the quarter, going 1-for-17 from the sphere throughout that stretch. The Cavaliers missed 16 consecutive 3-pointers, they usually struggled to transform inside, as effectively.
Harden went 2-for-7 within the first half. Function gamers Merrill, Wade, Jaylon Tyson, Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis had been a mixed 2-for-20.
The Celtics managed simply 21 factors within the second quarter, 10 of which got here on free throws. However they held Cleveland to 10 — the fewest by a Boston opponent this season — and took a 56-36 lead into halftime.
“I don’t suppose we restricted their capturing. I assumed they missed open photographs,” Mazzulla advised reporters postgame. “I assumed after the primary couple of minutes, what we did do a fantastic job of was getting again in transition, limiting them to at least one shot and maintaining them off the free-throw line. … I assumed we gave up some simple ones, however I assumed we managed the margins.”
The Cavs regained their offensive composure after the break, opening the second half with a 14-6 run that lower Boston’s result in 12. However simply as they did within the first quarter, the Celtics delivered a powerful response.
Brown saved Cleveland at bay by sinking 4 midrange jumpers, and Boston’s less-heralded wings adopted these up with a barrage of 3-pointers — two from Sam Hauser (15 factors, 5-of-10 from three) and two from Scheierman. Each of Hauser’s got here after offensive rebounds, together with one by Scheierman.
Boston’s lead peaked at 26 factors and sat at 86-69 coming into the fourth quarter.
“Clearly, we’ve acquired a fantastic crew, numerous nice gamers, and credit score to them discovering me after I was open,” Scheierman advised NBC Sports activities Boston’s Abby Chin. “They belief me to make the suitable play, and I simply strive to try this each time.”
Cleveland then rallied once more. Mitchell, who’s fueled many a comeback towards the Celtics in his Cavaliers tenure, scored or assisted on 4 baskets within the first three minutes of the ultimate quarter, and drew a capturing foul on Brown. On the different finish, the Cavs pressured the Celtics into two shot-clock violations, with one coming after a Brown 3-pointer appeared to graze the rim, which ought to have triggered a reset.
A Mitchell three lower Boston’s result in 91-81. One other by Tyson acquired it to single digits with 6:24 remaining. The Celtics answered each with triples by Scheierman and Pritchard.
Pritchard added two extra powerful midrange makes. Then Tatum, who had not made a subject aim since halfway by means of the primary quarter, bullied his method in for a layup and hit a 3 that made it 107-95 with 1:59 to play.
