NBA round-up: Donovan Mitchell guides Cleveland Cavaliers to win over Boston Celtics
Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points, including 26 in the second half as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics from behind to dominate NBA champion Boston Celtics.
In the game between the Eastern Conference leading teams, Cleveland won less than five minutes into the game but won a 123-116 championship.
It was the seventh straight win for the Cavaliers and the ninth straight win – they had the best record in the NBA (49-10).
Darius Garland contributed 20 points for Cleveland, while Evan Mobley scored 17 points and 12 rebounds in the Celtics, missing starters Kristaps Porzingis (Sick) and Jrue Holiday (Hand).
Boston power forward Jayson Tatum scored 46 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, while Jayson Brown scored 37 points.
Mobley’s three-pointer gave the Cavaliers a first game lead with 8 minutes and 43 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Brown stabilized the game with a score of 114-114 with more than three minutes left, but Mitchell responded to several driving baskets and the Cavaliers won a conference advantage over the Celtics (42-18).
Mitchell praised the importance of Friday’s victory as the Celtics beat Cleveland in the second round of the playoffs last season.
“It’s a measuring stick,” he said. “These guys have won the championship and we want to continue to get to where they are.
“The biggest thing is that we fight. The biggest thing is flexibility.”
In Los Angeles, Luka Doncic celebrated his 26th birthday by scoring a game-high 31 points in the Lakers’ 106-102 victory over City rivals.
LeBron James added 28 points and 13 rebounds to the Lakers, who endured the late challenge of the Clippers with 27 points and 16 rebounds by Ivica Zubac.
Oklahoma City’s Western Conference Racing Thunder defeated the Atlanta Hawks 135-119, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points, which could help climb to a 48-11 record.
Nikola Jokic finished his 28th triple-double of the season when he finished his eight-game winning streak with the Detroit Pistons with the Denver Nuggets.
Jokic is the most valuable player in the NBA, scoring 23 points with 17 rebounds and 15 assists for most of the fourth quarter of the Nuggets’ 134-119 victory.
Denver guard Jamal Murray led all scorers with 31 points, and teammate Michael Porter Jr had 28 points in the game.
