The Celtics returned to action following their In-Season Tournament layoff with a win, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-113 on Tuesday night.
Boston fell behind by as many as 15 in the first quarter but was able to overcome the sluggish start and come away with a victory, remaining a perfect 11-0 at TD Garden. The win marked the Celtics’ 18th consecutive regular-season home win, tying their longest streak since 1990-91.
All five Boston starters finished in double figures, with Jayson Tatum leading the way, notching his ninth double-double of the season with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Jaylen Brown, who left the game late in the first half after landing awkwardly on a missed dunk attempt, returned for the third quarter and finished with 25 points and four assists.
Kristaps Porzingis poured in a team-high 19 points on 5-of-10 (50%) shooting in the second half, a nice response after posting just two points in the first half on 0-of-6 shooting.
As a group, Boston’s starters combined for 99 points.
Cleveland’s star backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell (29 points) and Darius Garland (26 points) combined for 55 points on 22-of-45 (48.8%) shooting. Noted Celtics killer Max Strus had 17 points on 6-of-15 (40%) shooting.
Boston and Cleveland will meet again this Thursday at TD Garden.
Here are three takeaways from Game 1 of the Celtics-Cavs miniseries as the Celtics match the Minnesota Timberwolves for an NBA-best 17-5 record.
Asleep to start
After a three-day break and only one game in the last week, it took a little while for the Celtics to settle back into the swing of things.
The Celtics were sleepwalking early on Tuesday night, and it led to an uncharacteristically slow start as they were outscored 31-21 in the first quarter, posting their fewest points in an opening frame all season.
Entering Tuesday night, the Celtics ranked first in offensive (125.2) and defensive (101.5) ratings for the first quarter and were averaging an NBA-best 31.7 points per game, outscoring opponents by an average of 6.0 points per game.
However, Cleveland opened the game with a parade to the rim and knocked down a handful of threes, resulting in an 18-4 run to start the game.
Brown kept the Celtics afloat, scoring Boston’s first eight points and 10 of their 21 first-quarter points. It wasn't until midway through the frame that a Celtic not named Jaylen Brown recorded a point.
As a team, the Celtics shot 8-of-22 (36.4%) from the field and 1-of-10 (10%) from three. Outside of Brown, the Celtics shot 4-of-16 (25%).
The defense wasn't much better, as Cleveland had as many makes in the restricted area (8) as the Celtics did from the field.
Despite the miserable start, Boston recovered, outscoring the Cavs 17-13 after they fell behind 18-4, and entered the second quarter trailing by just ten, a deficit erased by some high-energy plays from Payton Pritchard, a string of three consecutive Derrick White threes, and 13 points second-quarter points from Tatum.
Getting to the line
Nine of those 13 second-quarter points from Tatum came at the free-throw line, where the Celtics shot a perfect 26-of-26.
Dating back to Friday night’s win over the Knicks, the Celtics have made their last 40 free-throws, their second-longest streak since 1997-98. They are one away from tying the 41 in a row they made in 2019.
While Boston knocked down 26 free-throws, the Cavaliers made just six, which, in a game decided by seven points, made all the difference.
The Celtics, in particular, Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis, were aggressive, getting downhill and attacking the rim. It resulted in a combined 22 attempts at the line from them.
Boston’s 17-2 advantage at the free-throw line in the first half was crucial in their ability to erase the 15-point deficit they faced.
Another clutch W
The Celtics once again found a way to close things out in crunch time on Tuesday night.
Boston held Cleveland to just 21 fourth-quarter points and only committed one turnover.
With the score tied 106-106 at the 5:42 mark, Porzingis got to the free-throw line on back-to-back possessions, giving the Celtics a two-possession lead. After a missed three from Dean Wade, Tatum knocked down a three on the other end, putting the C’s up seven with 4:28, a lead they would never surrender.
With the win, the Celtics advanced to 8-4 in the clutch this season. Their eight clutch wins are tied for the third-most in the NBA, as they continue to show growth in that area. Boston has posted a 118.3 offensive rating and a 103.5 defensive rating in the clutch this season.
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