NBA Cup: Boston Celtics end Cleveland Cavaliers’ 15-match winning run
The Cleveland Cavaliers ended their 15-game winning streak with a thrilling 120-117 victory over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Cup at TD Garden.
The Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday to become just the fourth team in NBA history to start the season with a 15-0 record.
But six Celtics players, led by Jayson Tatum, scored in double figures with 33 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists, handing the Cavaliers their first defeat.
Trailing by 17 points at halftime, the Cavaliers fought back after Evan Mobley scored 22 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
That helped them pull within two points in the final quarter, but the Celtics held on.
“Everybody knew they were undefeated and coming into our building,” Celtics guard Derrick White said.
“It’s an NBA Cup game and we’ve already lost one. So, in that respect, it’s a very important game. We all know that.”
The Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to six games with a 124-118 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Dalton Knecht, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft, scored a career-high 37 points.
The 23-year-old tied a rookie record with nine three-pointers in the win.
In other games, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 122-110 and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 132-91.
The NBA Cup, launched in 2023 and won by the Los Angeles Lakers, counts toward the regular season standings but does not count toward championships outside the regular season.
