NEWS NOW: The Celtics sweep the Cavaliers and remain undefeated at home,
In the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Boston, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) shoots at the basket as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade (32) defends. (AP Photographer: Steven Senne)
BOSTON (AP) — There was no slow start this time, as the Celtics led from start to finish in a 116-107 victory over the Cavaliers on Thursday. The C’s swept the two-game set at TD Garden, improving their season record to 18-5.
While the C’s trailed by double digits early in Tuesday’s victory, they turned the tables on Thursday. They led by as many as 14 points in the first half, capitalizing on multiple 3-pointers. Donovan Mitchell’s strong play kept the Cavaliers in the game in the first half.
The Celtics weren’t able to fully break open the game, though, with the Cavaliers rallying back to make it just a three-point game heading into the fourth quarter. But it was the Jayson Tatum show in the fourth quarter as the Celtics preserved the victory despite the Cavs’ efforts to stick around.
Tatum had 27 points and 11 rebounds while Jaylen Brown added 22 points. Donovan Mitchell had 31 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers with Caris LeVert adding another 26 points.
The Celtics host the Magic at 7:30 p.m. Friday at TD Garden for their next game. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s win over Cleveland:
Couldn’t pull away: While the Celtics led all the way Thursday, the Cavaliers never let the home squad get too comfortable. That’s a credit to a Cleveland team that could be a playoff foe down the line. The Cavs cut it to a one-possession game in the second half, forcing the Celtics to execute down the stretch. It was in some ways just another win for the Celtics, but getting pushed by a quality team like the Cavs is also a solid sign.
Balanced scoring: With the Celtics preaching sacrifice throughout the season, that was once again on display Thursday. All five starters were in double-figure scoring with all of them putting up at least 14 points. It was Brown early on to lead the way, then Tatum got a healthy amount of shots in the fourth quarter. All five starters also shot at least 10 field goals. Notably, while Al Horford only put up seven points, he did have 10 rebounds while only taking four field goals in his 23 minutes.
Still perfect: The Celtics continue to be flawless at home as they’re now 12-0 on the season at TD Garden. The players themselves haven’t pinpointed exactly why they’re so much better at home — other than praising the fans — but the results have been worthwhile for the Celtics. They host the Magic for the next two games, and Orlando brings in a four-game winning streak over Boston into Friday. So that mini series of two games will have some nice juice over the weekend.
Depth check: While it looked like the Celtics were at full strength Thursday, it wasn’t the case with reserve big man Luke Kornet a surprise scratch midway through the first quarter. That meant the C’s were shorthanded in the frontcourt with only Porzingis and Horford available (Neemias Queta was in street clothes Thursday). C’s coach Joe Mazzulla elected to go with just Porzingis and Horford as his bigs throughout Thursday’s game. So Kornet’s absence wasn’t too big a deal. But it will likely make an impact Friday with Horford not playing in the second game of back-to-backs. So keep an eye on that.
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