Mitchell-led Cavaliers stun Celtics in battle of East's best

Less than five minutes into Friday night’s highly anticipated showdown between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, it looked like the Boston Celtics were on their way to a statement victory.

Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson had already burned two timeouts, Boston had drained seven three-pointers, and the Celtics held a commanding 25-3 lead. But what seemed like an inevitable rout quickly turned into a dramatic comeback.

Led by six-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who erupted for 41 points and five assists in 35 minutes, the Cavaliers clawed their way back. Cleveland, which hadn't lost since falling to Boston on Feb. 4, methodically chipped away at the deficit. By the end of the first quarter, the gap had shrunk to 12, and from there, the Cavaliers kept coming. A blistering shooting performance—17-for-39 from beyond the arc, with eight different players hitting at least one three-pointer—helped fuel the rally.

"It means we've got grit," said Evan Mobley, who struggled early but finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, including 11 points and eight boards in the fourth quarter. "No matter how down we get, we’re going to keep fighting all the way to the end."

The win all but ended Boston's hopes of catching Cleveland for the top seed in the East. With 23 games remaining, the Cavaliers (49-10) moved eight games ahead of the Celtics (42-18) in the loss column while evening the season series at 2-2.

Boston’s struggles with maintaining leads resurfaced, a concern as the postseason looms. While Atkinson acknowledged that the Celtics were missing key players, Cleveland’s depth proved to be the difference. The Cavaliers used 10 players, all of whom logged at least 12 minutes, while Boston leaned heavily on just seven. Cleveland’s bench outscored Boston’s 33-6.

Despite the loss, Jayson Tatum delivered a standout performance. "That was one of the most incredible shot-making performances I’ve seen," Atkinson said. Tatum reflected on the game’s momentum swings:

"We started out aggressive, playing great defense, and that ignited our offense," he said. "But in the second half, they made a run, got offensive rebounds, and took more shots than we did. That gave them life. And when we needed a stop, we didn’t get it—that was tough."

For Cleveland, the win reinforced its standing as the East’s top team, while Boston was left searching for answers ahead of the stretch run.