The Boston Celtics won the top game in the East against the Cleveland Cavaliers. A disastrous second quarter put the hosts on the losing track early on.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their home game against the Boston Celtics 98-109. The game started promisingly for the hosts: Evan Mobley consistently exploited early mismatches and scored nine of his team’s first 13 points, giving Cleveland a small lead early on. But Boston quickly took control, led by Jayson Tatum, who scored 12 points in the first quarter to give the Celtics a lead after the first 12 minutes. The game finally turned in the second quarter. The Cavaliers couldn’t find any rhythm on offense, missing all 14 of their three-point attempts and making only four of 25 shots from the field. Cleveland managed only ten points in this period – a phase in which the frustrated home fans even booed their team at times. Boston did not take full advantage of this weak phase offensively, but still comfortably extended their lead to 20 points at halftime.
Cavs respond after the break – Boston always has an answer
After the break, the Cavaliers responded and cut the deficit to eight points at one stage in the final quarter, but they were unable to complete a comeback. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 30 points and five assists, while Mobley contributed 24 points and eight rebounds. James Harden had 19 points and ten assists, but struggled with six of 16 shots. Dennis Schröder had two points, three rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes.
Boston’s duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were particularly impressive. Brown led the Celtics with 23 points and eight assists, while Tatum contributed 20 points. Payton Pritchard came off the bench to score 18 points and made several important shots when Cleveland briefly regained hope. The Celtics controlled the game for long stretches and ultimately secured a commanding away win.