CLEVELAND, OH — The Cavaliers were shorthanded on Wednesday night, but that didn’t stop them from giving the Celtics all they could handle. Unfortunately for Cleveland, it wasn’t enough to snap their losing streak.
Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum made big shots down the stretch in the 112-106 win.
Collin Sexton was great for the Cavaliers. The second-year guard finished with a career-high 41 points. He also had six assists and three rebounds.
Sexton shot 17-of-30 from the field and 3-of-9 from 3-point range. He played a game-high 45 minutes. He set a career-high just two days after scoring 32 points against the Jazz (previous career-high).
Kevin Love posted a double-double for the Cavs. He finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. Larry Nance Jr. wasn’t far behind, finish with 19 points and 15 rebounds.
The Celtics led by as many as 13 points in the first half, but the trio of Sexton, Love and Nance kept the Cavaliers in the game.
Cleveland went on a 9-1 run to start the third quarter to take the lead. The game had 11 lead changes.
Tatum led the Celtics with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
The Cavaliers fall to 17-45 on the season. They’ve lost four straight games.
Injuries Pile Up
The Cavaliers were shorthanded for the second straight game. Tristan Thompson (knee), Darius Garland (groin) and Andre Drummond (calf) were all out.
Kevin Porter Jr. went down with a head injury late in the second quarter and didn’t return.
Boston played without Gordon Heyward (knee), Kemba Walker (knee) and Jaylen Brown (hamstring).
Up Next
The Cavaliers host the Nuggets on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
