Over the last two games, the Boston Celtics (43-21) finally got a meaningful look at what their lineup might resemble with Jayson Tatum back in the fold - and the early signs suggest the Eastern Conference may have a problem.
Boston erased an early deficit and dominated the middle portion of Sunday’s matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers (39-25), pulling away for a 109-98 win at Rocket Arena.
For Boston, the win was particularly encouraging because it came against one of the conference’s hottest teams. Cleveland entered the afternoon having won 15 of its previous 19 games, but the Celtics controlled the contest for most of the final three quarters.
The game didn’t start that way.
Cleveland opened the afternoon with an 11-3 run behind an aggressive start from Evan Mobley, who scored 7 early points while helping spark a defensive surge that included multiple blocked shots. The quick burst forced Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla to call a timeout less than three minutes into the game.
That pause quickly shifted the momentum.
Boston responded with a 12-2 run, ignited largely by Tatum, who looked far more comfortable in his second game back from his 9.5 month rehab process post-Achilles tear.
During one stretch midway through the first quarter, Tatum erupted for 12 points in just over three minutes, mixing pull-up jumpers with strong drives to the rim and a transition three-pointer. He also created for teammates, including a bounce pass that set up Derrick White for a wide-open dunk.
After missing his first six shots in his return game on Friday, Tatum started Sunday’s contest 4 of 5 from the field. Though he cooled off later and finished 6 of 16 overall, he still produced 20 points in just under 28 minutes - an encouraging step forward as he continues ramping up his workload.
While Tatum provided a spark, Jaylen Brown was Boston’s best player as the game unfolded.
Brown flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists while repeatedly punishing Cleveland from the midrange.
Boston closed the opening quarter on a 32-15 run and never looked back.
The Cavaliers’ biggest struggles came in the second quarter, when their offense completely collapsed. Cleveland scored just 10 points in the entire period and managed only two points during the first seven minutes.
The Cavaliers shot 4 of 25 in the quarter and missed all 14 of their three-point attempts, a disastrous stretch that allowed Boston to build a commanding lead.
Despite shooting just 39% from the field in the first half, the Celtics still carried a 56-36 advantage into halftime thanks to their defense and control of the game’s margins.
“I don’t think we limited their shooting,” said Mazzulla during his postgame presser. “I thought they missed open shots. But I did think we did a great job getting back in transition, limiting them to one shot and keeping them off the free-throw line.”
Cleveland attempted to mount a response after the break, opening the second half with a 14-6 run to trim the deficit.
Boston quickly countered.
Brown knocked down a series of midrange jumpers while shooters like Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman stretched the floor with timely three-pointers. Boston’s lead eventually swelled to 26 points before settling at 86-69 entering the fourth quarter.
The Celtics’ bench was a major difference throughout the afternoon.
Payton Pritchard led the second unit with 18 points and 7 assists, finishing as a team-best plus-18 in 34 minutes. Scheierman added 16 points and 10 rebounds while helping Boston’s reserves outscore Cleveland’s bench 41-13.
The Cavaliers made one final push in the fourth quarter behind Donovan Mitchell, who finished with a game-high 30 points. Mitchell fueled a quick run that cut Boston’s lead to single digits midway through the period, but Pritchard answered with several tough baskets before Tatum sealed the game with a late layup and three-pointer.
Boston will now continue a difficult road trip that includes matchups with two of the Western Conference’s top teams - the San Antonio Spurs (47-17) on Tuesday and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-15) on Thursday.
If Sunday’s performance is any indication, the Celtics appear well prepared for the challenge - and the rest of the East may soon have to deal with a fully operational version of Boston once again.
Good luck.