The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers confirmed what NBA basketball appears like at its finest on Friday evening, as the 2 prime groups within the East offered an exciting potential convention finals preview at TD Backyard. This didn’t at all times appear like an prompt traditional: the Celtics took an enormous lead early within the first quarter earlier than Cleveland rallied again to make it aggressive, after which zoomed forward within the second half.
Celtics ahead Sam Hauser buried a three-pointer to place Boston up 22-3 in the beginning of the sport. The Celtics instantly compelled a turnover, and Jayson Tatum buried one other three on the opposite finish. Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson referred to as timeout, and as Tatum went to bench, he had a message for the Cavs: “Go the f—- house.”
Tatum had cause to be feeling himself with a 25-3 lead in the mean time. Just one downside: there was nonetheless 41 minutes left within the sport. Cleveland roared again to steal the win, making Tatum’s quote go viral after the buzzer.
The Cavs beat the Celtics, 123-116, to steal a highway win over the reigning champions. Cleveland out-score Boston 120-91 after Tatum informed the Cavs to ‘go the f—- house.’
Tatum was spectacular on the evening, ending with 46 factors, 16 rebounds, 9 assists, and three blocks on 19-of-37 taking pictures from the ground. The Celtics celebrity was crimson scorching within the first half with 30 factors, however he shot solely 8-of-20 within the second half and didn’t make a three-pointer after halftime. When Tatum had a shot to present the Celtics one final likelihood late within the fourth quarter, he got here up means, means brief:
The Cavs had been crimson scorching after their sluggish begin. Cleveland ripped 17-of-39 three-pointers (43.6 %) and did an ideal job limiting turnovers (solely seven on the evening). Donovan Mitchell matched Tatum blow-for-blow to complete with 41 factors on 13-of-26 taking pictures. Mitchell was persistently attending to the foul line on Boston’s house flooring. None of Boston’s workforce of implausible defenders might keep in entrance of him.
What a comeback from the Cavs. Watch the way in which they erased Boston’s large first quarter lead right here:
We’d like a Cavs-Celtics Jap Convention Finals sequence so badly. This was elite hoops.
