The defending champions Boston Celtics (12-3) let a 21-point lead slip away but held on for a 120-117 victory over the previously unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers (15-1) on November 20. Boston rained threes, hitting 22-of-41 from beyond the arc, to claim their third straight win.
Jayson Tatum spearheaded the Celtics’ charge to their first NBA Cup win with a dominant 33-point, 12-rebound, 7-assist performance. Al Horford added 20 points and 7 rebounds, Derrick White contributed 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Jaylen Brown chipped in 17 points and 8 assists.
Donovan Mitchell put his team on his back with a 35-point outburst. Evan Mobley tallied 22 points and 11 rebounds, along with 6 assists. Jarrett Allen registered 10 points and 11 rebounds. But Darius Garland was stifled by the Celtics’ defense, holding him to 8 points on a miserable 3-of-21 shooting from the field.
Boston’s Red-hot Shooting Ignited Them to the Win
The Celtics jumped out to an early 12-4 lead with a barrage of three-pointers. Cleveland responded, scoring 8 unanswered points to close the gap to 4. It was just a 5-point game in the second, but Boston erupted with a 22-10 run, sinking 6 three-pointers to build a 17-point advantage at the break.
The Celtics seemed to have the game in hand, leading 79-58 in the third. But the Cavs roared back with a punishing 30-11 surge, cutting the gap to a single possession. Mobley engineered the rally with 14 points as Cleveland pounded the Celtics with 40 points in the quarter. The Cavs kept things interesting in the fourth with Porter Jr. hitting a three-pointer to cut the Celtics’ lead to 100-102. But Tatum took control, scoring or assisting on the Celtics’ next 10 points and Brown added clutch baskets, sealing the win.
The Celtics continue their NBA Cup campaign against the Wizards on Saturday, while the Cavaliers face the Pelicans tomorrow.
