The Cavaliers are the favorites to complete atop the Japanese Convention standings. Most prognosticators view the depleted Celtics as a fringe playoff crew at greatest.
Regardless of these radically totally different expectations, Boston was the higher crew Wednesday evening at TD Backyard, trucking a shorthanded Cleveland squad 125-105.
Jaylen Brown scored 30 factors to guide the Celtics, who had eight gamers attain double figures within the lopsided win. A type of was fourth-year professional Josh Minott, who posted an 11-point, 14-rebound double-double with three steals and a block in his second profession begin.
Neemias Queta additionally recorded a double-double in his fifth recreation as Boston’s beginning heart (10 factors, 13 rebounds, three steals) and was a game-best plus-25 in his 26 minutes. Derrick White added 19 factors, Payton Pritchard dished out 10 assists, and Sam Hauser and Anfernee Simons mixed for 35 factors off the bench whereas taking pictures 11-for-19 from 3-point vary.
All 5 Cavaliers starters scored in double figures, however none reached 20 factors. Donovan Mitchell, a Celtics killer in lots of their earlier matchups, managed simply two factors on 1-for-8 taking pictures over the ultimate three quarters.
The Cavs have been enjoying with out All-Star level guard Darius Garland and rotation gamers Max Strus and Sam Merrill.
It was the second straight 20-point victory for the Celtics, who’ve bounced again properly after opening the season with three consecutive losses for the primary time since 2013.
Boston will journey to Philadelphia on Friday for a rematch in opposition to the 76ers, who handed the Celtics a one-point residence loss on opening evening.
“5 video games in; we’ve bought 77 left,” head coach Joe Mazzulla stated. “We’ve bought to do it each evening. … However there was loads of minutes over the past two, three video games the place we’ve had, like, ‘That is who we have now to be.’ ”
The Celtics began red-hot from 3-point vary, drilling eight of their 14 makes an attempt (57.1%) throughout a 40-point first quarter. A lot of that long-range manufacturing got here from Hauser (21 factors, 7-for-13 from three), who sank three 3-pointers in his first 77 seconds of ground time and a fourth simply over a minute later.
The veteran sharpshooter – who led the Celtics in 3-point taking pictures proportion final season and has by no means shot worse than 40% from deep in his profession – went 5-for-6 on 3-pointers within the first quarter, with one coming after he grabbed an offensive rebound off his personal miss. Simons additionally went 2-for-3 from past the arc within the opening 12 minutes.
However the Cavs have been, someway, even hotter throughout that very same stretch. They tried 12 first-quarter threes and made 10 of them – an unimaginable 83.3% clip – together with a scorching 4-for-4 begin from Mitchell, who was questionable for the sport with a hamstring damage. The Celtics’ protection held up properly in different areas, forcing 4 early turnovers and never an offensive rebound till halfway by means of the second quarter, however Cleveland’s deluge of threes gave them a 42-40 lead after one.
The 18 mixed made 3-pointers have been one shy of the NBA document for any quarter. However each groups cooled down considerably because the night wore on.
The sport turned late within the second quarter, when Mazzulla known as for a timeout with 3:54 to play within the half and his Celtics down 57-55. Brown drew a foul on the following possession, and his two free throws kick-started a 20-3 Boston run that includes among the smoothest, most effective basketball the C’s have performed since their offseason overhaul.
Brown was the catalyst for that surge, pouring in 13 factors within the closing 4 minutes earlier than halftime. He closed the half by burying a 30-footer with 16.7 seconds remaining, then hitting an off-balance three over Dean Wade as time expired to place the Celtics forward 75-60.
Brown’s first-half scoring line: 22 factors, 8-for-10, 4-for-5 on 3-pointers, 2-for-2 from the foul line, with 18 of these factors coming within the second quarter.
Boston’s second-quarter flurry additionally featured lob dunks by Queta and Minott on back-to-back possessions. The latter got here after White poked the ball away from Mitchell from behind – a signature transfer for the two-time All-Defensive choice.
Minott, who was moved into the beginning lineup Monday evening in New Orleans, additionally had a number of not-so-positive moments late within the first half. He turned the ball over on a drive after passing up an open nook three and later fouled Mobley within the backcourt on what ought to have been the ultimate possession earlier than halftime. A pissed off Mazzulla subbed Minott out after the foul, however Brown bailed the 22-year-old out along with his halftime buzzer-beater.
“He’s carried out an excellent job,” Mazzulla stated. “He simply has an understanding of what the usual is, how he has to compete. Simply his potential to make performs on each ends of the ground, his versatility. He nonetheless gave up some performs. (He has to) get higher at that, so he’ll proceed to work on it.”
Defensive rebounding – the Celtics’ most important bugaboo of their three losses this season – grew to become a difficulty within the third quarter, serving to Cleveland keep inside placing distance. The Cavs grabbed six offensive boards within the body and turned them into 10 second-chance factors. Boston, buoyed by two missed Mitchell free throws and a banked-in deep three by Simons, took a 98-85 lead into the ultimate quarter.
These issues continued within the fourth, however the Celtics made the performs mandatory to make sure their lead by no means dipped under double digits. Minott made two of these, hitting a 3-pointer from the nook after which flattening an offensive rebound to arrange a White three. Pritchard additionally did his half to maintain the Cavs at bay, scoring a troublesome 13-footer and rapidly following it up with a layup in site visitors after Queta intercepted an errant Mitchell go.
Regardless of wavering within the second half, the Celtics completed with an 18-11 edge in offensive rebounds and a defensive rebounding proportion of 81.0% — miles higher than their flimsy performances in opposition to the New York Knicks (58.0%) and Detroit Pistons (57.8%). Minott and Queta every grabbed 5 offensive boards.
“I believe we rebounded very well,” Brown stated. “Our first-shot protection has been actually good, however we rebounded at a very good charge. Josh and Neemi each on the glass have been distinctive, and that’s what we’re going to wish going ahead. I believe rebounding might be one of the crucial apparent issues in basketball, nevertheless it makes an enormous distinction. I believe rebounding was nice for us tonight.”
Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson accepted defeat with 2:47 remaining, sending in what was left of his shortened bench with the Celtics forward 117-102.
“It’s only one recreation,” Brown stated. “We’ve bought loads of basketball in entrance of us. We’re nonetheless studying, nonetheless figuring some stuff out. However we’re shifting in the correct course. I’ve bought full confidence in my teammates and the teaching workers, however we’re nonetheless rising and studying each single day. Right now was an excellent evening for us. We performed properly. We’ve simply bought to maintain constructing on that.”
Different observations:
— Hugo Gonzalez spent three minutes guarding Mitchell throughout a first-quarter cameo, including the Cavs star to a listing of assignments that already included Jalen Brunson and Cade Cunningham. However these have been the one minutes the rookie performed earlier than rubbish time on this one.
— Boucher was the lone DNP-CD for Boston, and Jordan Walsh solely checked in for mop-up responsibility. Walsh has hardly performed this season (5 whole minutes), and Boucher has seen his minutes decline in all 5 video games — a shock after the veteran massive man put collectively an encouraging preseason. Baylor Scheierman (eight minutes) and Xavier Tillman (three) had bit elements within the win as Mazzulla principally caught with an eight-man rotation.
