Seventeen wins of their first 20 video games of the season absolutely had the Cleveland Cavaliers feeling good about internet hosting the defending champion Boston Celtics on Sunday night time.
Though Boston was coming to city using a seven-game profitable streak, it was with out two of its high gamers in Jaylen Brown (sickness) and Derrick White (foot) and had simply gone via a 138-129 slugfest in opposition to the Bulls in Chicago two nights earlier.
Cleveland had the proper alternative to get some revenge in opposition to the Celtics, and it didn’t let it slip.
The Cavaliers tagged Boston with its first loss since Nov. 12, pulling off a 115-111 victory after dealing with a 12-point deficit with 8:09 remaining within the fourth quarter.
And Cleveland followers ought to savor each little bit of this win, as a result of the Cavaliers merely aren’t on the Celtics’ stage—it doesn’t matter what the scoreboard stated on Sunday.
When these two groups met two weeks in the past, it was Cleveland that was short-handed, as Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert and Dean Wade have been all lacking from a 120-117 loss that ended the Cavaliers’ season-opening, 15-game profitable streak.
Cleveland was additionally held down by Darius Garland, who went 3-for-21 from the sector within the Nov. 19 assembly.
We’ve but to see Boston and the Cavaliers go at one another at full energy, however what we are able to let you know is that Brown and White transfer the needle excess of Okoro, LeVert and Wade do. The Celtics have been coping with far more adversity throughout their loss on Sunday than Cleveland needed to put up with throughout its setback in mid-November.
It additionally took a superhuman efficiency from Donovan Mitchell to get the Cavaliers to stage the season collection with Boston at 1-1. Mitchell erupted for 20 factors on 6-of-6 capturing from the sector and 4-of-4 capturing from 3-point vary within the fourth quarter. He fairly actually wanted to be excellent to ensure Cleveland obtained the win.
Spectacular? Sure. However such a efficiency solely received the Cavaliers the battle, not the warfare.
Whereas vital, Sunday’s recreation received’t be on anybody’s thoughts if Cleveland have been to collide with the Celtics at any level through the playoffs, particularly if that get-together occurs within the Jap Convention finals. At that time, it’s a seven-game collection. And if each groups are absolutely wholesome, Boston isn’t letting the Cavaliers get to 4 wins earlier than it does.
Cleveland is a regular-season staff till it may possibly show in any other case. The Cavaliers have two playoff berths over the earlier six seasons, getting bounced within the first spherical of the postseason in 2023 earlier than falling within the Jap Convention semifinals—by the hands of the Celtics—this previous spring.
Over those self same six seasons, Boston has made two journeys to the Finals, two extra journeys to the Jap Convention Finals, and one other to the semis. It suffered a first-round exit in 2021.
This Celtics staff is particular. Don’t let one loss make you neglect that Boston is drilling 19.1 threes an evening, has 5 scorers averaging no less than 16.0 factors per contest and hasn’t dropped three video games in a row for the reason that 2023 playoffs.
So have a good time now, Cleveland. There received’t be any motive to in six months.