The Boston Celtics strengthened their position in the East with a 112-105 victory over the leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Jayson Tatum led the charge with 22 points, while Derrick White added 20 to help the defending champions secure their fourth straight win.
Kristaps Porzingis contributed 19 points, and Jaylen Brown finished with 16 and nine rebounds as Boston improved to 36-15, extending their winning streak to four games and moving to 2-1 against Cleveland this season. The Celtics displayed their playoff pedigree down the stretch, executing in key moments to fend off the Cavaliers’ comeback attempt.
Cleveland, which had won 24 of its last 28 home games, struggled early but cut a 15-point deficit to four in the fourth quarter. Donovan Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 31 points, while Darius Garland added 25 in the loss.
Jarrett Allen recorded 17 points and 18 rebounds for Cleveland, but Evan Mobley had a rough outing, shooting just 3-for-14 and finishing with seven points. The young forward, recently back from injury, has yet to regain his full explosiveness.
Boston built an early lead with its perimeter shooting and defensive pressure, holding the Cavaliers to just 15 points in the first quarter. White delivered in the clutch, hitting a mid-range jumper and back-to-back threes to push the Celtics’ lead to 107-97 with 2:41 left.
Cleveland, now 40-10, struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 28% on 39 attempts. Despite the poor shooting night, the Cavaliers extended their streak of games with at least 10 made threes to 55.
Tatum shot 7-of-23 from the field but contributed in other areas, dishing out seven assists and grabbing four rebounds. White went 6-of-12 from deep, while Porzingis made his presence felt inside after missing last year’s playoff series against Cleveland due to injury.
Garland and Mitchell led a late surge, but Boston answered each time to keep its lead intact. The Celtics controlled the boards, outrebounding the Cavaliers 53-51, with Al Horford pulling down 10 rebounds off the bench.
