Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 35 points, including 11 straight for Cleveland late in the fourth quarter, to propel the Cavaliers to a 115-111 comeback win over the visiting Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Cleveland stared at a potential third straight loss when it fell behind by 14 points late in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers chipped away at the deficit throughout the final period to set the stage for Mitchell’s eruption.
Mitchell started with a step-back 3-pointer before answering Jrue Holiday’s layup with another triple to pull Cleveland within 99-98 with 2:14 remaining. Boston went up by three on Payton Pritchard’s ensuing drive, but Mitchell struck again from deep to tie the game at 101.
After Jayson Tatum’s miss at the rim, Mitchell capped his surge with a floater that put the Cavaliers ahead for good at 103-101 with 1:07 left. Cleveland capitalized on another Tatum misfire with quick ball movement, culminating when a driving Isaac Okoro found a cutting Evan Mobley for an emphatic dunk.
The teams traded free throws down the stretch, which left Boston one final chance with five seconds to go. After making the first free throw to cut the deficit to 113-111, Pritchard rebounded his own intentional miss, but officials ruled the ball did not hit the rim.
Mitchell tacked on two more free throws to seal the win for Cleveland and snap Boston’s seven-game winning streak.
Tatum led the Celtics with 33 points, while Pritchard supplied 24 off the bench. Kristaps Porzingis scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in his third game back from a foot injury sustained during last season’s NBA Finals. Boston was without Jaylen Brown (illness) and Derrick White (foot).
Garland had 15 points to help the Cavaliers carry a 51-49 lead into halftime. After scoring 12 points in the first half, Tatum came alive in the third quarter, netting 17 as the Celtics held an 84-72 lead entering the fourth.