The Cavs (5-1) entered their primetime matchup with the Boston Celtics (4-2) Wednesday on a five-game winning streak and fresh off defeating Boston in an early-season clash at the TD Garden 132-123 in overtime Friday night. In that ballgame, Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert became the first Cavs players since LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals to each score 41 points apiece. It was another close contest that needed 53 minutes instead of 48 to decide a winner, but the Cavs pulled out the one point victory, 114-113.
Darius Garland made his return for the first time since suffering a laceration of his eyelid, and the No. 5 selection in the 2019 NBA Draft wasted no time hitting a deep three with 8:50 remaining in the first quarter to give Cleveland an early 5-4 lead. He would come down the next possession following two free-throws by Jayson Tatum and drill another long-range three from about the same spot in the middle of the floor. With 7:22 to go in the opening period, Garland would nail another three, this time from the right corner on an excellent pass from Donovan Mitchell. Garland would repay the favor to "Spida" a possession later off a steal, forcing Boston to use a timeout mid-way through the quarter.
The Vanderbilt product would continue his first quarter dominance, scoring 14 points total and dropping three assists while helping the Wine and Golders expand their lead to eight at the end of the quarter 35-27. The 14 points were the most points Garland scored in the first quarter throughout his young career.
It wasn't only Garland who contributed in the scoring column, as Kevin Love scored seven points, and Mitchell had an additional four. The Cavs entered the contest leading the NBA in 3-point percentage at 43%, and their sharp shooting from behind-the-arc continued into this game, as they shot 4/9 (44%) in the quarter.
Garland continued his hot streak as soon as the second quarter began, dropping another three, making him 4/4 from deep up to that point in the game. The Celtics would get themselves back in the game with balanced scoring from most of their starting five to cut the Cavs lead to four mid-way through the second.
The cold streak would continue for both teams coming out of the mid-way TV timeout of the quarter. The score stayed deadlock at 46-41 Cavs from 5:22 to 4:08. A 8-0 in a minute of action gave Boston a 48-46 lead with 2:45 to go until the half. They would extend their advantage to 54-46 with two minutes to go in the second quarter, forcing J.B. Bickerstaff to use a timeout. At the time of the TO, the Cavs were shooting 24% in the quarter (5/21).
Buckets by LeVert and Jarrett Allen would trim Boston's lead to six at the end of 24 minutes. Boston outscored Cleveland 29-15 in the second period, outshooting them in the frame 45 to 25%. After scoring 14 in the first, Garland was held to three points and 1/5 from the field in the second. The Cavs only had one assist in the second quarter and zero free-throw attempts.
In total, Boston outshot Cleveland 43 to 36% in the first half, outrebounded the Cavs by 11 (33 to 22 and more than doubled Cleveland in free-throw attempts 915 to seven).
The teams would trade baskets mostly in the beginning of the third. Boston would extend their lead to 10 at 64-54 with 9:26 to go in the quarter. With Boston seemingly in control, the Cavs would need to make a run, and that's exactly what they did. A couple of easy slams by Allen, followed by baskets by Garland and Evan Mobley, who only scored two points in eight minutes in half No. 1, cut Boston's lead to two at 66-64 with 6:25 to go in the period.
Out of the timeout and off a Celtic turnover, Mitchell would tie the game on a nice drive to the basket and finish. Marcus Smart would get to the rim for a hoop on the next Boston possession, but Mobley would respond with a bucket of his own. A Celtic turnover allowed the Cavs to come down the lane and take advantage of a Mobley-Smart matchup that drew a foul on Smart. off the out of bounds pass, Mobley would nail a hook shot over Sam Hauser to give the Cavs the lead back at 70-68 with 4:25 left in the third.
Three minutes left in the third, and a Tatum three tied the game at 74 before the two teams went to a timeout. Back from the TO, and two free-throws from No. 10 gave the Cavs the lead back. After getting multiple stops on the defensive end after some offensive rebounds by Grant Williams, the Cavs would get the rock back and extend their lead to three, as Love split a pair from the charity stripe.
A Dean Wade steal, followed by a Garland mid-range shot put the Cavs lead up to five. Another defensive stop allowed LeVert to get to the line and he cashed 1/2 to put the Cavs up 80-74 with a 1:15 left in the third. Another stop and transition opportunity set up LeVert at the free-throw line for two more free-throws, and he made one. A Hauser missed three and a Hauser foul on Allen gave the Cavs more free-throw attempts, and Allen made both. Two free-throws by Tatum cut the Cavs lead to seven, and that's how the scoring would stop in the third.
Boston would go 6/21 (29%) in the quarter, as the Cavs would outscore them 33-20 in the period to overtake their second quarter slump. Cleveland closed the quarter on a 29-10 run, setting up another epic fourth between these two Eastern Conference contenders.
To start the fourth, Boston began on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 83 with 10:48 to go in the contest. The Wine and Golders would not score in the quarter until 8:25 left in the game on a Mobley slam on a pass from DG, ending a 14-0 Celtics run. The pass would be Garland's ninth assist.
With 6:42 to go following a Wade and-one, the lead for Boston was two at 92-90. After a defensive stop, Mitchell would split a double team, but he was unable to finish. The Celtics would come back down, and Tatum would hit his seventh and eighth free-throws to give his team a 94-90 advantage.
A Garland bucket over Smart down on the other end was good. Tatum would respond with a bucket with Garland defending. A LeVert three cut it to one with 4:45 to go.
After a Grant Williams missed three, LeVert would find Mobley for the hook shot to give the Cavs a 97-96 lead. Off the made basket, it looked like Smart traveled for Boston, but a non-call allowed Boston to call a timeout with 3:43 to go. Back from the TO, and Williams badly missed a three, but a loose ball foul was called on Garland while competing for a rebound with Smart. With the Cavs in the penalty, the Celtics would send Smart to the line, where he drilled both to give Boston a 98-97 lead.
With 2:34 to go, Mitchell made a nice move on Smart to give the Cavs the lead back 99-98. On the other end, he would draw an offensive foul on Jaylen Brown via an elbow to the face."Spida" would deliver a three over Malcolm Brogdon, followed by a layup during the next possession to give the Cavs a four point advantage.
Following a Smart and-one, Mitchell would nail a jumper to give the Cavs a 106-103 lead. A Tatum layup cut it to 106-105 Cavs. Back came Mitchell, who gave the rock to Garland. Garland missed a deep three, but LeVert came up with a huge offensive rebound. After a timeout, Love triggered the ball to Garland off an in-bounds, who was fouled.
DG would split the pair. The clock read 10.3. The Cavs led 107-105. Off the TO, Tatum went right down the lane with a dunk to tie it.
Mitchell made an attempt at a deep three at the buzzer, but we would head to OT tied at 107. Boston would outscore Cleveland 31-24 in the fourth. Through regulation, Brown had 28 for the Celtics while Tatum dropped 24. Garland had 26 for the Cavs, and Mitchell produced 23. Both duo's were going at it in a game that looked like a May preview.
In the extra five minutes, Garland would get the scoring started with a three. After an Allen block, Mitchell would run the fast break for an easy hoop on a Garland assist, giving the Cavs a 112-109 lead.
After a wild sequence that saw Boston get multiple offensive rebounds, Mitchell skied to the top essentially of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with two minutes to go in OT with the score remaining 112-109. A Mitchell assist to Allen for the easy layup brought the lead up to five. Brown from the elbow would answer, cutting the Wine and Golders lead to three. A Mitchell layup high off the glass over Brown missed, and Tatum would get an easy bunny at the other end, trimming the Cavs lead to one, 114-113.
The Cavs would get a clutch stop on Smart, but with about 25 seconds on the game clock, Boston would not foul. Garland would miss the shot, giving Boston one last attempt to win it with 2.3 on the clock. A Brown misfire over Wade on a fall away shot gave the Cavs the hard-fought victory.
The Cavs head to the Motor City to take on the Pistons on Friday, November 4th. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.