In a clash of the top two teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics began as if they would blow the Cleveland Cavaliers out of TD Garden on Friday night. Yet the Cavs demonstrated why they have the league’s best record with a second-half surge that resulted in a stunning comeback and 123-116 victory.
Boston scored the first 11 points of the game and ran out to a 25-3 lead with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter. Jayson Tatum had 30 points by halftime, with Jaylen Brown adding 19. Yet the Cavaliers whittled the margin down to 10 points, showing that they could still give the Celtics a challenge.
Cleveland cut Boston’s lead to 96-95 with 32 seconds left in the third quarter behind a 3-pointer and two free throws from Donovan Mitchell. But Brown scored the final basket of the frame, giving the Celtics a three-point lead and perhaps stopping the Cavs’ comeback just short after fighting from so far back.
Another Brown basket built Boston’s lead to five, but Cleveland still had plenty for the fourth quarter. Evan Mobley followed with a 3-pointer and a short jumper to tie the score at 100-100. The comeback was complete and with 10:40 left, the Celtics suddenly looked like team that was running out of gas.
Mobley hit another 3 to give the Cavs a 104-101 lead, then Mitchell traded baskets with Tatum and Brown to maintain that margin.
Up next for the Cavs is a home game versus the Portland Trail Blazers (26-33) on Sunday, while the Celtics host the Denver Nuggets (38-21), fresh off ending the Detroit Pistons’ eight-game winning streak behind Nikola Jokić’s 28th triple-double of the season with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists.
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