The Boston Celtics opened their preseason schedule with a 124-113 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, October 8, at Rocket Arena.
Boston built a 71-62 halftime lead after scoring 39 points in the second quarter. Cleveland responded with a 34-point third quarter and briefly moved in front, but the Celtics regained control and outscored the Cavaliers 25-17 in the final period to secure the victory.
Devin Carter led Boston with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes off the bench. The guard shot 5-for-9 from the field and made six of his seven free throws, while recording two steals.
Luka Garza added 22 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 6-for-17 from the field and 3-for-10 from three-point range. Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh contributed 16 points apiece, while Hugo Gonzalez finished with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Dillon Mitchell also made an impact off the bench, scoring 10 points and collecting nine rebounds in 28 minutes. Boston had six players score in double figures and finished with 29 assists.
The Celtics shot 41-for-99 from the field, including 17-for-47 from beyond the arc. They also converted 25 of 35 free throws and outrebounded Cleveland 56-39.
Jaylon Tyson paced the Cavaliers with 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting in 17 minutes. Tristan Enaruna added 13 points, while Donovan Mitchell and Meleek Thomas scored 11 apiece.
Cleveland had several strong stretches, particularly in the third quarter. After trailing by nine at halftime, the Cavaliers erased the deficit and took a 78-76 lead on a Craig Porter Jr. dunk with 8:32 remaining in the period.
Boston answered through Walsh and Gonzalez, then rebuilt its advantage before the end of the quarter. The Celtics entered the fourth ahead 99-96 and pulled away with a decisive run. Tucker DeVries hit consecutive three-pointers to help extend the margin to 110-99, and Boston maintained a double-digit lead for most of the closing minutes.
Porter finished with five points and 10 assists for Cleveland, while Thomas Bryant recorded eight points and two blocks. The Cavaliers shot 48% from the field but made only 12 of 37 three-point attempts, compared with Boston’s 36% accuracy from deep.
The result gives Boston a 1-0 record in preseason play, while Cleveland begins its exhibition schedule at 0-1. Both teams will continue using the preseason to evaluate rotations and prepare for the regular season.
