The Boston Celtics capitalized on a disastrous second quarter by Cleveland and defeated the Cavaliers 109-98 on Sunday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland (39-25) hit just four of 25 shots in the second period and went 0-for-14 from beyond the arc during that stretch, turning a close contest into a 56-36 deficit at halftime. Boston (43-21) never trailed after the break, although the Cavaliers trimmed the margin to 94-86 with 6:22 remaining before the visitors closed out the game.
Key numbers
Second-quarter drought: 4-of-25 shooting, including 0-of-14 on three-pointers.
Overall from deep: 13-of-45.
Free throws: 15-of-21.
Top performers
Cavaliers
• Donovan Mitchell returned after missing four games and scored 30 points on 9-of-18 shooting.
• Evan Mobley added 24 points, hitting 10-of-19 attempts.
• James Harden recorded 19 points and 10 assists but began 0-for-3 at the foul line.
Celtics
• Jaylen Brown led Boston with 23 points.
• Jayson Tatum, in his second game back from Achilles surgery, finished with 20.
• Payton Pritchard contributed 18 on 7-of-12 shooting.
What they said
“You can’t really afford to get down in a hole against the Celtics. And when you do get in a hole, it’s too late,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. He added that Cleveland’s shot selection contributed to the problem: “We took some threes where we could’ve gotten to the rim or gotten to the paint. We love shooting threes, but I think we were a little overzealous.”
Atkinson also cited a lack of energy in the opening half: “Our force in the first half was below standard, and that just can’t happen against a team like Boston.”
Injury report
Cleveland played without center Jarrett Allen (knee). There is optimism he could return soon, but the team has not set a firm date.
Up next
The Cavaliers host the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Boston continues its road swing Tuesday in Milwaukee.
Source: Hoops Wire
