NBA champion Celtics still too much for Cavaliers

BOSTON — This wasn’t about their perfect season, 15-game winning streak or even the NBA Cup.

This was a chance for the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers to find out where they were against the defending champions.

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“This was a great test for us, but unfortunately we couldn’t get the win,” Donovan Mitchell said. Although he scored 35 points, he was unable to prevent the Cavaliers from suffering their first loss of the season to the Boston Celtics, 120-117. on Tuesday night.

Read: NBA: Celtics overturn Cavaliers’ 15-0 start

“It’s definitely a measuring stick,” Mitchell said. Mitchell scored 18 points in the fourth quarter, including 14 straight points for Cleveland in the final four minutes. You want to know your current situation, but don’t put too much emphasis on it. …Now that it’s April, we can’t be the same team. ”

The Celtics defeated the Cavaliers in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring, winning an unprecedented 18th championship and entering the season as the favorites to win back-to-back titles, or at least advance to the NBA Finals. Cleveland won its first playoff series last year since LeBron James left for the second time in 2018, but was not expected to be a favorite.

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But it was the Cavaliers who rose to the top of the standings this fall, winning a franchise-record 15 straight games and becoming the league’s last undefeated team. Coach Kenny Atkinson became the first NBA coach to win his first 15 games with a new team.

“You want to be a part of history in that regard. But it’s in the past. It’s over. And, you know, it’s been a good run,” Mitchell said. “It was fun. When you’re playing basketball, when you’re good at basketball and clearly win the game, whether it’s a blowout loss, a close game, a come-from-behind win, you enjoy the moment.

“It’s great to be a part of history. I wish it would have continued like this,” he said. “But like I said, there will be no championship in November.”

The Celtics hit back-to-back 3-pointers Tuesday night to open a 21-point lead and watched the Cavs cut the lead to two points in the third quarter. Cleveland trailed by nine points, 114-105, with 90 seconds left when Mitchell hit a floater and then a layup to cut the deficit to five points.

Boston led 117-110 with Mitchell making a rainbow 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to make it a four-point lead. After Jayson Tatum, who scored 33 points, made one of two free throws, the Celtics star threw Mitchell down while going for a steal.

Read: NBA: Cavaliers vs. champion Celtics get off to a perfect start online

Mitchell remained on the court for several minutes, but no plays were considered to determine if he was caught red-handed, potentially giving the Cavaliers two free throws and the ball.

“I was just praying to God that I didn’t get a concussion. That’s the only thing I did.” Mitchell said he watched the play one more time after the game, but didn’t think it should have been ruled a flagrant foul. he said. “That was a play with the ball. He has a boney shoulder. So I tapped him on the shoulder and that’s what it is.”

Atkinson blamed himself for not having an answer for the Celtics, who made 14 of 22 3-point shots in the first half and opened up a 17-point lead. He praised the team, which played without Isaac Okoro (ankle), Caris LeVert (knee), and Dean Wade (ankle), for almost erasing the deficit in the third quarter.

“They did a thorough job,” Atkinson said. “That big second quarter was just too much to overcome. We came back in the second half, but I think it was a little too late.”

And the manager is already looking ahead to the next matchup, which will take place in Cleveland on December 1st.

“They’re very good. There was some resistance in the second half, but… there’s a lot we can improve on,” he said. “We’re going to attack them again soon.”