Boston’s 2nd NBA Cup game couldn’t be a bigger test for the team early in the season. While the Celtics enjoy an 11-3 start to the season, they hope to stop the Cleveland Cavaliers perfect winning start to the season. Cleveland arrives in Boston Tuesday night at 15-0, riding high, 3 games clear in the Eastern Conference.
Boston starts the season with a shaky 4-2 record at home thus far, including 2 overtime wins and a pair of recent losses to Atlanta and Golden State. Both teams begun the game with some nerves and missed shots, but Boston settled in the game behind a pair of three-pointers from Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Jayson Tatum added a 3-point play as Boston pushed out to an early lead. Jaylen Brown then hit a corner triple to register Boston’s twelfth point of the game before Cleveland was forced to call a timeout down 8 early.
Cleveland had 3 turnovers in the first quarter with some sloppy play to start the game. Boston punished the Cavs with some beautiful three-point shooting, going 5-10 from three after one quarter. The discrepancy between the two teams was the story of the first quarter, as Boston had 15 points to zero after one quarter from behind the arc.
The Cavs double-big lineup of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley was causing the C’s some problems, as the pairing was scoring far too easily in the paint with a combined 8 early points. Boston however did enough to lead 26-20 to end the opening quarter.
Neemias Queta was the first big off the bench for Boston and similar to other games this season, he had an up and down start to this game. Queta had 2 early turnovers with an ill-advised offensive foul yet conversely the Portuguese big-man had a neat interior pass to end the first quarter assisting to Sam Hauser.
Cleveland’s first three-point basket eventually came at the 10:43 mark of the second quarter. Whilst down the other end, Payton Pritchard had a pair of threes as he further staked his claim on the club’s most consistent bench-scoring role.
With guard Max Strus out and his replacement in the starting lineup, Sam Merrill, struggling to start the game, Georges Niang stepped up, working hard for Cleveland, as the energy role player brought it off the bench for Cleveland with 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 first half assists.
Boston’s first half was highlighted by a ridiculous 63.6 percent three-point shooting percentage going 14-22 outside the arc. Tatum led the way with a perfect 4-4; the rest of the starters and Pritchard added 2 three-pointers each as the half ended strong for the home team, 65-48.
Derrick White’s third three-point made basket saw Boston’s lead balloon to 20 points to start the second half. Sam Merrill eventually shrugged off his early game struggles, hitting back-to-back threes for Cleveland, but Boston was just chugging away from distance with Jrue Holiday and Al Horford making their third threes of the game as Boston was a staggering +33 from deep.
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To no one’s surprise, Boston’s third quarter struggles reared up again as Cleveland dug deep and went on a 18-3 run midway through the third to get back within 4 points. Mobley was the focal point throughout the Cleveland run as he took advantage of all the switching Boston defenders and ended the third quarter with 22 points.
Neemias Queta struggled mightily in the third quarter as Donovan Mitchell targeted the big man on consecutive ISO plays. With Tillman in Maine, Queta was left in the game despite his 3 turnovers and 3 fouls. Cleveland’s third quarter comeback was eventually halted by a last second three pointer by a visibly frustrated Jayson Tatum, Boston up 93-89 through three quarters.
The fourth quarter saw Cleveland get back to 2 points at the eight minute mark with Jayson Tatum on the bench. The Cavalier bench players were contributing far more effectively in the second half behind the likes of scrappy Ty Jerome and Craig Porter Jr as Boston were pushed on both ends of the floor.
Al Horford was everywhere on D midway into the fourth as the 38-year-old registered consecutive blocked shots and got the hometown rowdy. A deep Derrick White three at the 4 minute mark gave Boston a 6-point lead 110-104. A series of deflections from Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday at crucial times late in the game proved decisive in Game 2 of the NBA Cup. A hanging circus shot from Jaylen Brown gave his 16th point of the game and a buffer.
Cleveland 7 road wins and 15 straight winning record came to an end in Boston as the Celtics hung on to win, 120-117. Boston next faces the Washington Wizards in game 3 of the NBA Cup on Friday, November 22nd, at Capitol One Arena.
