Wrap-Up — Boston has been one of the hottest squads in the Eastern Conference since before the All-Star Break – winning 11 of their previous 14 games, including a buzzer-beater over the Cavaliers back on February 2.
And 11 minutes into Saturday’s contest, it looked like they’d stay hot, canning seven of their first 10 three-point attempts and running out to an 18-point lead.
But the Cavaliers came to their senses after a rough first quarter – combining for 98 points over the next three, holding off the scrappy Celtics to earn the 120-103 win to take the season series against the squad they swept out of the playoffs last spring.
Eight Cavaliers tallied double-figures in the victory – Cleveland’s third straight – led by LeBron James, who finished with a game-high 28 points to go with 11 boards, eight assists, two steals and a block. Along the way, James also passed Tim Duncan to move into 14th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Kyrie Irving followed up with 20 points – going 7-for-13 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from long-distance – as the Wine and Gold improved to 12-3 against the Atlantic Division this season.
As good as it was to see LeBron and Kyrie lead the way, the Cavaliers had to be most encouraged by the play of Iman Shumpert – who’s been searching for his rhythm for weeks, and might have found it on Saturday night, tallying 12 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals – becoming the first reserve in Cavaliers franchise history to post those numbers off the bench.
Shumpert and Matthew Dellavedova – who added 10 points, four helpers and two steals – each led Cleveland with a +26 mark off the bench. Tristan Thompson also netted 12 points in relief as the Wine and Gold’s bench outscored Boston’s, 40-27.
J.R. Smith pitched in with 14 points, canning four of Cleveland’s 10 triples on the night – the 19th time this season Swish has connected on four or more. As a team, it was the 33rd time this season that the Cavaliers knocked down double-digit treys.
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Shump slams it home.
Watch final game highlights.
Timofey Mozgov and Kevin Love added 10 points apiece in the win. Mozgov did his work from the floor, going 4-of-4 from the field; Love did his from the stripe, where he went 8-of-9 on the night.
In the first quarter, the Celtics shot 60 percent from the floor, including 71 percent from beyond the arc. But the Cavaliers held them to just 40 percent shooting over the next three quarters.
Cleveland shot 51 percent from the floor on Saturday night while outrebounding the Celtics, 47-37, and converting 14 Boston miscues into 29 points. The Cavs outscored Boston in the paint, 52-34, on the break, 14-6, and on second-chance opportunities, 25-15.
Turning Point — After the game’s opening minutes, it looked like a long night for the Wine and Gold – with Boston using a 20-6 run to open up an 18-point edge with 1:21 to play in the first quarter.
But Cleveland began chipping away in the second period. Tristan Thompson’s scored on an and-1 to cut the Celtics’ lead to 11 and Kyrie got it to single-digits with a three-pointer two possessions later.
The Cavaliers kept the pressure on throughout the quarter and when Iman Shumpert connected on a three-pointer with 1:54 to play in the first half, the affair was tied at 53-apiece. Shump’s free throws 53 seconds later gave Cleveland a one-point edge heading into halftime.
By the Numbers – 700 … straight games that LeBron James has now scored in double-figures, dating back to January 6, 2007. The four-time MVP is third on that illustrious all-time list, trailing only Michael Jordan (866) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (787).
Quotable – Coach Tyronn Lue, on Matthew Dellavedova posting a +26 number off Cleveland’s bench …
“If you don’t love Delly, then you don’t love basketball. Seriously.”
Up Next – After Saturday’s comeback victory over Boston, the Cavaliers round out the four-game homestand on Monday night when they welcome Memphis to The Q. Following that matchup with the Grizzlies, the Wine and Gold hit the road for their final West Coast trip of the season. On Wednesday, the Cavs take on the Kings in Sacramento, followed by a meeting with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in L.A. the following night. After a day off, the Cavaliers return to the Staples Center, facing off against the Clippers on Sunday afternoon before wrapping up the junket the following evening in Utah.
