Celtics

Jaylen Brown provided paint touches and transition runs, allowing the Celtics to shoot fewer threes and still score efficiently after a bad shooting night.

I think there’s a difference between swinging it around the perimeter a little bit and not really having a physical presence in the paint.” They withstood a 7-for-10 Donovan Mitchell push to within 13 points in the third and Darius Garland’s last stand toward a four-point deficit in the closing seconds. Brown, showcasing his own balance, hit a three, pair of free throws and short-range bank shot to close an efficient win against the league’s best defense. Brown acknowledged the spot it put Grant in while emphasizing the virtue of sacrifice on the roster. The Celtics shot only one three-pointer in the first nine minutes, a rarity as they attacked in transition, hunted mid-range shots and that lone Horford look followed a post dump to Williams III. A pair of long misses followed into the second quarter as Boston downsized with Mike Muscala inside, Tatum tracking down the second and firing himself up with a one-handed put back slam. Tatum ended the frame cutting, catching a pass, kicking the ball out again and repositioning himself for a baseline two-pointer. Even tonight, we didn’t start off the game shooting the ball fantastic, but being able to score in transition, being able to get some open shots and creating for others just opens the game up a little bit for everybody. When we have the right spacing and we can keep teams in the half court and play our half court defense, our first shot defense is really good. Some of that stems from not wanting to discourage a confident offensive approach from his group, especially when piling up quality attempts and hitting them at their expected rate provides the most straightforward path to victory. Boston improved to 31-4 when shooting above the league average of 36% from deep. The Celtics passed side-to-side, settled and despite head coach Joe Mazzulla’s pre-game appeal to shoot more threes confidently in games where they lose, Brown brought Boston’s attention toward the rim in a 117-113 win over the Cavaliers.

Al Horford continues to be a rock solid player for the Celtics and was a key contributor in their win over the Cavaliers.

At 36, that’s a testament to how he’s adapted his game to mold into the current era considering he was drafted back in 2007. That five-man group works because of Horford’s ability to not only space the floor but to take on assignments against some of the best bigs in the league. That’s the type of impact Horford has had in Boston as he’s been a pro’s pro behind the scenes. It’s fun when you’re out there and you’re given this opportunity and obviously to win and to help the team.” That included his shooting as Horford poured in a season-high 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting and 6-for-8 from 3-point land. BOSTON — Almost every time the Celtics found Al Horford open beyond the 3-point line, the big man delivered as he rained down jumpers on the visiting Cavaliers.

Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell continued his impressive form with 44 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome Boston's Jayson Tatum.

But for now, they can celebrate a hard-fought win over a tough opponent in the Cleveland Cavaliers. [who](https://www.hindustantimes.com/topic/who) broke out of his slump to score 41 points, grab 11 rebounds, and dish out 8 assists. Boston was seeking to avenge their two overtime losses to the Cavs earlier in the season, and they did just that in a hard-fought game.

Jayson Tatum overcame a slow start to score 41 points as the Boston Celtics beat the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 117-113 on Wednesday.

The Cavaliers prevailed 132-123 in Boston on Oct. 28, and 114-113 in Cleveland on Nov. Tatum had two points after the first quarter, but heated up for 15 in the second and 18 in the third. Boston’s advantage peaked at 21 points, 89-68, following a layup by Robert Williams III with 2:32 remaining in the third. Al Horford added 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics. He hit another trey to cut the deficit to four points with 12.3 seconds on the clock, but that basket capped the scoring.

Wednesday night the Cavaliers traveled to Boston to take on the Celtics—a nationally televised game between the second and fourth Eastern Conference seeds.

[Learn more about our streaming options here.](https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/the-news-5-user-guide-how-to-use-news-5-every-day-to-stay-informed) [Download the News 5 Cleveland app](https://www.news5cleveland.com/about-us/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-news-5-app) now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. [Roku,](https://www.rokuguide.com/channels/newschannel5) [Apple TV,](https://www.apple.com/tv/) [Amazon Fire TV,](https://www.amazon.com/Scripps-Media-Inc-News-Cleveland/dp/B07796DV1D) YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. Mitchell really wanted the win as he could be heard throughout the night, encouraging his teammates and making big plays. Download now on your [Apple device here](https://go.skimresources.com/?id=88890X1542025&xs=1&isjs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fid487296004%3Fign-mpt%3Duo%253D8&xguid=01D7J65X5EXAXEF3QBFB8R1TP6&xuuid=ddb689af5189547a572a5c32945be0ab&xsessid=&xcreo=0&xed=0&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news5cleveland.com%2Fabout-us%2Feverything-you-need-to-know-about-the-news-5-app&xtz=240&jv=13.18.0-stackpath&bv=2.5.1), and your [Android device here.](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mylocaltv.wews&hl=en) A mic’d up Donovan Mitchell dropped 44 points, five assists, and four rebounds. We're also on [Amazon Alexa](https://www.amazon.com/Scripps-Media-Inc-News-Cleveland/dp/B06WRPH9WB/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-skills&ie=UTF8&qid=1531506359&sr=1-1&keywords=news+5+cleveland) devices. But since the Cavs waited until the very last seconds to attempt to come back, the Celtics held on and got the 117-113 win. Down to the last two minutes, the Cavs woke up a little and actually started treating the game as a playoff game. "They're a really good basketball team and credit to our guys for continuing to fight and get back," said J.B Bickerstaff. — Wednesday night the Cavaliers traveled to Boston to take on the Celtics—a nationally televised game between the second and fourth Eastern Conference seeds. Darius Garland scored a layup and two 3-pointers back-to-back around the one-minute mark.

The Boston Celtics won against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night following a bounce back game from Jayson Tatum.

The Cavs have won [both matchups this season](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401469090) in overtime on October 28 and November 2, so it was revenge time for the Celtics. I think Mitchell has some extra motivation to score for the Cavs given that Damian Lillard recently scored his record of 71 points, that he achieved in January. [Boston Celtics won against the Cleveland Cavaliers](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-vs-cavaliers-takeaways-jayson-tatum-snaps-out-slump-cs-win) on Wednesday night 117-113.

Jayson Tatum is two days shy of his 25th birthday and has already accomplished more than many of his peers will in their entire careers.

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum scored 18 points in a pivotal third quarter and finished with 41 points as the Boston Celtics held on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers ...

Boston was able to close it out at the foul line. The teams entered Wednesday’s matchup healthy, making for a high energy start. Spurred by pleas from Smart and the entire Celtics’ bench, Coach Joe Mazzulla challenged the call. He stayed in the game when play resumed, scoring Cleveland’s next 10 points and 19 in the quarter. Mitchell’s scary moment came with under six minutes left in the third quarter. Tatum added 11 rebounds and eight assists as Boston earned its first victory in three games versus Cleveland this season.

We've talked a lot about the Celtics using Rob Williams' improved screening to get free. Tatum rejects the screen from Mike Muscala where he would have been ...

That allows Tatum to get Isaac Okoro on his hip for the and-1: If they want to keep pace with the It starts with the patience to work the two-man game with Williams. In this one, Mazzulla cited matchups as the reason he went with Muscala over Grant Williams. As he draws the entire Cavs defense, Tatum delivers the terrific hook pass to Al Horford in the corner: When you are on a hot streak like Jayson Tatum was, the last thing you want is halftime. Just before this clip starts, Marcus Smart had pressured Evan Mobley in the backcourt before recovering to Darius Garland. It’s fair to point out that things got a little messy in the last few minutes of this game. Tatum rejects the screen from Mike Muscala where he would have been going to his shooting hand. This is a good way to do it: Then he followed that up with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the third quarter. [Philadelphia 76ers](https://www.libertyballers.com), but the Celtics haven’t really struggled with them for a while now.

Al Horford knocked down a career-high six threes Wednesday night and is second on the team in 3-point shooting percentage.

I knew that I had to continue to evolve as a player and grow and shoot the 3-ball more. “He’s constantly trying to find small ways to reinvent his game,” Mazzulla said. The Celtics grabbed five more rebounds than the Cavaliers did, which was key during such a close win. Horford tied Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams III for a team-high 11 rebounds. The second time they tried to switch him, he created an advantage.” And so we ran that ATO for him and he recognized the coverage [the Cavaliers] were in and popped and shot it.

Grant Williams was a healthy scratch against the Cavs. Here's what Joe Mazzulla, Robert Williams III, and Jaylen Brown had to say.

Grant has helped us get to the Finals last year. He’s averaging 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting just over 40 percent from three. Williams notched a season-high 48 minutes during an overtime loss to Milwaukee last month, where his ability to defend Giannis Antetokounmpo is a noted plus. He’s been able to carve value out in this league, so a couple games here and there based upon whatever the coaching staff thinks doesn’t mean any more or less. The exception was against Philadelphia, when he played 29 minutes. “When Mike was in, we were able to play a different defensive lineup.

Al Horford's stint with the Thunder was a crucial stop in helping him age like fine wine after returning to the Celtics via trade in 2021.

The Sixers decided to jettison Horford just one year into his megadeal, trading him away to the His fit with Embiid was a clunky one at best, and his first season with the Sixers ended up in a first-round playoff defeat against the Celtics. However, after just three years with the team, Horford decided to pursue one last giant payday as he nears the twilight of his career, signing with the Philadelphia 76ers to form a supersized frontcourt with Joel Embiid.

Grant Williams was a healthy DNP-CD for the first time all season against the Cavs.

And so, just getting used to the communication and the variables that go into our defense.” The former Thunder big man was scoreless in his 11 minutes as Al Horford and Rob Williams thrived during big minute night for them. And so they played, because of their sub pattern, we went with a bigger, we were able to stay in 13 a little bit more and not switch that second unit, which is big for us.” [Pre-registration for mobile betting](https://actionrush.com/go/fanduel-mass-pre-launch-mass-live/)in Massachusetts is live on FanDuel. The arrival of Mike Muscala however has opened the door for more options for Joe Mazzulla when it comes to lineup construction for his bigs. Since then, he’s put together one of the best seasons of his career with career highs across the board as a top reserve big for [Boston](https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2023/02/why-heats-bam-adebayo-hates-celtics-details-jayson-tatum-friendship.html).

“Matchups,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. Instead, Williams was passed over on the second unit in favor of Sam Hauser and newcomer Mike Muscala, who played ...

We all are figuring out the moving pieces as we get ready for the playoffs and it’s a part of it, going on a journey right quick.” Mazzulla’s rotations were short, as he went nine deep on Wednesday but ultimately used Hauser and Muscala very little in the second half as he rode his starters plus Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White to the victory. Blake Griffin, once a superstar in the NBA, has embodied the culture to take on a reduced role on the court. And so they played, because of their sub pattern, we went with a bigger (lineup), we were able to stay in 13 a little bit more and not switch that second unit, which is big for us.” Instead, Williams was passed over on the second unit in favor of Sam Hauser and newcomer Mike Muscala, who played nine and 11 minutes, respectively. In four seasons with the Celtics, Grant Williams has become an integral piece of a championship-ready group.

Grant Williams was a healthy scratch Wednesday night for the first time since May 2021. So, why didn't the Celtics forward see the floor?

The good news for Williams is that there’s still plenty of opportunity ahead to reestablish his value. The playing time and money will take care of itself from there. The Celtics need to find out if Muscala can hold up against playoff-caliber opponents and Wednesday’s visit from the Cavaliers was a quality test. Stepping back, the bigger story here might simply be Williams struggling to increase his value given his underwhelming play lately. [Jayson Tatum](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/jayson-tatum?b), [Malcolm Brogdon](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/malcolm-brogdon?b), and Derrick White was a minus-4 over 4:32. He played only 6:11 in Boston’s first game out of the break against the Pacers, another team with frontcourt size. Williams can smother this story by excelling in his next opportunity. Pressed on the topic, Mazzulla noted he wanted to have more rim protection. A variation of that lineup -- with [Robert Williams III](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/robert-williams-iii?b) in place of White -- was more successful later in the game. The Celtics had a team-best plus-15.2 net rating in his 261 minutes off the court, and that number plummeted to a meager plus-0.5 in his 277 minutes on the floor. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were a combined 2-of-3 shooting for a mere four points in that game. Williams was one of the only players to have success corralling Donovan Mitchell.

Their worst shooting night of the season doomed the Celtics as Joe Mazzulla defended the decision to not pivot away from the shot.

You’ve got a team that shoots a lot of threes, so I’ve kind of settled in, I’m trying to get to the basket more this year and that kind of has thrown a little bit of my dexterity off on my three-point shooting, but I’m still capable. If I get hot or if I take shots that I like, I can still fill it up, but for the most part this year, I’ve been trying to get to the rim.” Their big men don’t shoot at the rim often; Horford and Robert Williams III accounting for only 5.4 shot attempts at the rim per game. That line closely runs along before and after Robert Williams III returned, moving the Celtics back to bigger lineups rather than the five out group that sparked their historic start. The Celtics improved to 30-4 when hitting over the league average of 36% from three after beating Philadelphia, and fell to 14-14 when they shoot under that mark. Boston finished 1-for-12 in the first quarter, 2-for-19 in the first half and 9-for-42 in their loss to the [Knicks](https://www.postingandtoasting.com). It’s an easier excuse to accept after the final game and only loss of a three-game road trip, and a harder one to swallow after a Game 7 if the Celtics go cold over a smaller sample size in May. Last year’s Celtics went to the Finals ninth in three-point volume trying 37.1 per game, compared to 42.1 (second) this year. They covered so many bases, though vulnerabilities emerged since the hot start that pulled their offensive efficiency down to 15th in nearly three months since. Arguing against the approach in the regular season could be considered a little misguided. The Rockets from 2018-21, this year’s struggling Warriors, the 2020 Mavericks, 2021 Trail Blazers, 2021 Jazz and the 2018-2020 Bucks, along with the 2021-2023 version of Milwaukee (not their 2021 title team) rank among the highest volume three-point shooting teams ever. It’s an expected response from a team that relies on the three to the degree that the Celtics do.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavs were clicking in the first half of a hotly contested matchup against the Boston Celtics. Their latest playoff-style test then ...

The Cavs and Celtics exchanged blows in the first quarter to the tune of nine lead changes. Tatum is the 10th-most efficient player in the league (7.4), according to After the Cavs ripped off a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 98-85 with 9:38 left in the game, Horford stemmed the momentum with his sixth 3-pointer of the game. Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum was locked in throughout the night. Cleveland entered the night fifth in restricted area shooting with 69.4%. [Caesars Ohio Sportsbook](https://www.cleveland.com/betting/ohio/caesars/) is open for bets now that Ohio sports betting has launched. The 12-minute lapse is all part of growing pains for a Cavs team that is in the process of shedding their inexperienced shell of playoff-style basketball. The Cavs are 1-15 when their opponent makes 15 or more 3-pointers. Mitchell finished with 44 points, four rebounds and five assists. He began 6 of 6 and finished 6 of 8 from deep, part of a season-high 23 points on the night. It was the beginning of a 41-26 third-quarter advantage for Boston. The defending Eastern Conference champions stormed to a commanding double-digit lead to open the third quarter,

The Boston Celtics put up 117 points and 50 percent shooting in a big win over Cleveland behind 41 from Jayson Tatum.

Jayson Tatum scored 18 points in a pivotal third quarter and finished with 41 points.

... The Cavs scored 30 points in the paint in the first half. … Went 6 of 7 from the 3-point line in the third quarter. … Marcus Smart had three steals in the first half. Boston was able to close it out at the foul line. … Garland had 12 points, six assists and two steals in the first half. "There was no coming out of the game for me," Mitchell said. Spurred by pleas from Smart and the entire Celtics bench, coach Joe Mazzulla challenged the call. "He knew once he came out it would stiffen up on him, make it difficult for him to come back in. So I'm just trying to enjoy the moment and stay present." Mitchell's scary moment came with under six minutes left in the third quarter. "I guess I never really take time to think about where I'm at or the things I've accomplished," Tatum said. Yet he isn't where he wants to be.

Perhaps no athlete has been hated more in Boston than Kyrie Irving, and a major reason behind that is how he left the Celtics for the Nets.

It prompted a flurry of [reaction from ex-Celtics players](https://nesn.com/2021/05/kevin-garnett-irked-by-kyrie-irving-stomping-on-celtics-logo/) and fans, the majority of whom tabbed Irving’s display as disrespectful. Irving posted a double-double of 39 points and 11 rebounds in that contest with the Nets finishing off the Celtics in a gentleman’s sweep two nights later. One year later in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Irving was fined $50,000 for making [“obscene gestures”](https://nesn.com/2022/04/nba-issues-punishment-to-kyrie-irving-for-actions-in-celtics-nets-game-1/) and using [“profane language”](https://nesn.com/2022/04/kyrie-irving-flashes-middle-finger-has-nsfw-message-after-game-1-loss/) at Celtics fans during the Nets’ Game 1 loss in Boston. Those chants existed throughout his tenure with the Nets, and there’s a good chance they’ll remain in the fold regardless of where Irving is playing. When asked about the incident after the game, Irving told reporters he was going to [“have the same energy for them.”](https://nesn.com/2022/04/kyrie-irving-has-expletive-filled-response-about-antics-at-celtics-fans/) With Irving on the floor, the Celtics won one playoff series against the Indiana Pacers in April 2019 before being served up a gentleman’s sweep against the Milwaukee Bucks in the next round. “I’ve shared it with some of my teammates as well as the organization as well as everyone else in Boston. It marked arguably the highest point of Irving’s tenure in Boston. Even then, however, the reception was nothing like Irving’s. Few in Boston sports history have ever been hated as much as the villainous point guard. Playing a sizable role in that distaste was none other than the 6-foot-2, 195-pound Kyrie Irving. The Los Angeles Lakers, of course,

To take a glass-half-full point of view, NBC Sports' Chris Forsberg decided to highlight four things he is into coming out of All-Star Week.

The results haven't been there yet as the group has played just nine games together. It's a lineup that features Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, ...

On the bright side for the Celtics, they still have 19 games left in the season to continue tinkering with chemistry and other parts of their rotation. I think that’s important, especially moving toward the playoffs, just gotta keep moving and building the right habits.” In the meantime, the Celtics will look to continue smoothing out any wrinkles that comes from what was their dominant starting five last season. So I think the focus is just being healthy, taking care of your body, and just coming out and playing games. [Massachusetts online sports betting](https://www.masslive.com/betting/massachusetts/)is coming soon. But when the Celtics turned their defense up was when they let Williams roam around as a help defender, letting Horford taking on the more traditional big man matchup. [Pre-registration for mobile betting](https://actionrush.com/go/fanduel-mass-pre-launch-mass-live/)in Massachusetts is live on FanDuel. That same five-man group caused havoc throughout the league last season as the Celtics were the best team in the NBA in the second half of the season. “Rob is such a big piece of what we do and his energy was just great tonight,” Horford said. It’s not necessarily a chemistry issue, but just re-learning how to play with the togetherness needed to dominate. The double big lineup unlocked the Celtics last season when they boasted the best defense in the league. It’s a lineup that features Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Robert Williams III and Al Horford, leaning into their size advantage while still being able to space the floor.