Cavs send message to Celtics, rally from 22 down to pull off 123-116 stunner – cleveland.com
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket past Boston Celtics forward Torrey Craig (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)APBOSTON — Playing against the NBA’s current kings, in their building, the Cavs showed the heart of a champion. Cleveland overcame a wretched start and rallied from 22 down to stun the Boston Celtics, 123-116, while also silencing a delirious TD Garden crowd. It’s Cleveland’s largest comeback in 11 years; the Cavs also overcame a 22-point deficit to beat the Celtics on March 5, 2014.Toughness. Grit. Resiliency. Trust. “This gives us a little more confidence, but there’s context around that,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We know they’re missing two guys. Humble in victory, that’s for sure, especially against this team.”Despite trailing for 38 total minutes and being on the receiving end of the Celtics’ relentless opening salvo, which typically deflates — and rattles — lesser opponents, the Cavs kept their composure and showed why their title dreams might be reality this season. Cleveland was down 11-0 in less than two minutes. The deficit was a game-high 22 just five minutes into the game, with Boston opening on a 25-3 run. But the Cavs settled in and responded, closing the quarter with a flurry and trailing by just 12 after one — a manageable deficit all things considered. The Cavs pulled within two at the 6:25 mark of the second quarter, causing murmurs throughout the arena. But Boston halted that push, increasing the lead back to double digits at the halftime break. Even though the Celtics dominated the opening minutes of the third quarter — a mini facsimile of the start of the game — and went back up by 17 points, the Cavs came back. Again. A Donovan Mitchell-led push made it a one-possession game going into the fourth. What else would you expect from Nos. 1 and 2 in the East? Five combined All-Stars? Three of the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year? After all, the first three games of the season series all went down to the wire, classified by the NBA as “clutch” games — a five-point margin in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter. At various points Friday night, it didn’t seem like this one would qualify. The game was tied for the first time all night with 10:40 remaining. Then the Cavs went in front for the first time at the 8:42 mark, rallying all the way back from down 22 and capping a 9-1 spurt with a timely Evan Mobley 3-pointer. Mobley tallied all nine points during the heater, showing why he’s a first-time All-Star. A few minutes later, Cleveland went up by six, its largest lead of the night. Despite the Celtics evening the game with around three minutes left, the Cavs made clutch plays down the stretch, celebrating a gutsy, improbable win, their most impressive all season, leaving Boston with internal validation and a series split. “We got punched in the mouth,” Mitchell said after the victory. “It’s been my challenge all year: How do you respond? And we did. Coming into the game, like I said, no championship is won tonight. So, was kind of just saying, ‘Alright, we got punched in the mouth and what are we going to do about it? I’m always going to be the critic. We can’t get down 22. We gotta set a tone from the jump. But if we do get down, we’re capable of doing what we did.”Mitchell tallied a team-high 41 points on 13 of 26 shooting and 5 of 12 from 3-point range.“Just kind of having a pulse, having a feel,“ Mitchell said. ”Just kind of doing my job. When my number’s called, keeping it steady. That’s what I do.”Darius Garland chipped in with 20 points. Mobley finished with 17, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to go along with 12 rebounds. “I thought he was deep in a hole. He was not feeling it. That’s a sign of a great player,” Atkinson said of Mobley. “You’re struggling, you’re struggling. And all of a sudden, he changed the game.”Deadline prize De’Andre Hunter had 12 points while Jarrett Allen scored 10. Boston star Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 46. Jaylen Brown had 37 despite dealing with game-changing foul trouble that caused him to sit for most of the third quarter — a time when the Cavaliers’ second comeback began. The Celtics played without Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (finger) — two absences that were felt throughout. “It’s 0-0,” Garland said. “Hopefully be back here in the summertime. See ‘em again for seven.”Prior to tipoff, Atkinson said Friday night wasn’t an “end-all, be-all” game, far from a harbinger of what could come in late May. Early on, it seemed like the Celtics had a purpose and intensity the Cavs couldn’t match. It seemed like Boston was trying to send a message to the team with the East’s top record, one considered Boston’s greatest threat to repeat. By the end of the night, the Celtics were on the receiving end of Cleveland’s own message: The Cavs are here. They are for real. And they aren’t going anywhere. Up nextThe Cavs will head home for a matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025).© 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.YouTube’s privacy policy is available here and YouTube’s terms of service is available here.Ad Choices
