Donovan Mitchell scored nine straight points in the final three minutes of regulation and finished with 25 overall to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers past the visiting Boston Celtics 114-113 in overtime Wednesday night.
Darius Garland returned from a five-game absence due to a left eye injury to add a team-leading 29 points and 12 assists as the Cavaliers won their sixth straight and recorded their second overtime win against Boston in a span of six days.
Jayson Tatum tied the game with a soaring one-handed jam with 6.7 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Tatum finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
Jaylen Brown added a game-high 30 points. Al Horford chipped in with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Marcus Smart had a chance to give the Celtics the lead but missed a shot with 28 seconds left in overtime. Brown rebounded a missed Cleveland shot with 2.8 seconds left in overtime, but then missed a fadeaway over Dean Wade as time expired to give the Cavaliers the win.
In the first quarter, Garland made an immediate impact, scoring 14 points and knocking down all three of his 3-point attempts, while dishing out three assists and recording two steals. Garland’s return helped the Cavs to a 35-27 lead after one.
The Cavaliers survived a scare in the second quarter when Mitchell turned his left ankle and stayed in the game. Mitchell returned to start the second half, missing a 3-pointer to open the third quarter.
The Celtics built a 66-54 lead on two Marcus Smart free throws with 9:05 left in the third before the Cavaliers ran off a 12-0 spurt to tie the game. The Cavaliers turned up the defense in the third, holding Boston to 6-of-21 shooting, to take an 83-76 lead into the fourth quarter.
Boston scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter as part of a 14-0 run, taking an 88-83 lead on a Grant Williams’ 3-pointer with 9:10 remaining. The lead changed hands three more times before overtime, where the Cavs never trailed.
Last Friday, Cleveland erased a 14-point second-half deficit to also beat the Celtics in overtime in Boston.
Cleveland heads out on a five-game road trip, beginning in Detroit Friday before heading out West for games against the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.
The Celtics head home for a Friday night game against the Chicago Bulls.
–Field Level Media
