Current:Home > InvestBoston Celtics cruise to Game 1 NBA playoff victory over Cleveland Cavaliers -Prime Money Path
Boston Celtics cruise to Game 1 NBA playoff victory over Cleveland Cavaliers
View
Date:2025-04-12 06:12:18
Jaylen Brown scored 32 points while leading the Boston Celtics to a 120-95 victory over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Derrick White made 7 of 12 3-point attempts and added 25 points for the Celtics, who had a 55-38 edge in rebounding. Jayson Tatum contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds but had a poor shooting night. Tatum went 7 of 19 from the field, including 0-for-5 from 3-point territory.
Boston's Payton Pritchard logged 16 points, Jrue Holiday had 14 points and Luke Kornet grabbed 10 rebounds.
"It starts with defense," Brown said. "We wanted to set the tone on defense and kept them under 100, but we feel like we have an answer for everything (on offense). We just play the game the right way. We see what they want to take away and we play after that."
Cleveland's Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 33 points. Mitchell also had six rebounds and five assists.
"It's one game at the end of the day," Mitchell said. "Jaylen Brown is an All-NBA player. He makes 300 million dollars for a reason. It's not the first time he's scored 30 on somebody.
"They're a high-powered team. We'll look at the film and be better on Thursday. It sucks that we lost, but it's good to see where we can improve."
The Cavaliers received 17 points and a game-high 13 rebounds from Evan Mobley. Darius Garland finished with 14 points, and Isaac Okoro had 11.
Jarrett Allen, Cleveland's starting center, missed his fourth straight game due to a rib injury. Allen averaged 17.0 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 31.8 minutes per game during the first four games of Cleveland's first-round series against the Orlando Magic.
"Player safety," Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We're not going to put him out there if he can't protect himself. That's where he's been at to this point."
As expected, the Celtics didn't have center Kristaps Porzingis, who is rehabbing a strained right calf that could cause him to miss the entire series. The Celtics improved to 23-4 in games where they have not had Porzingis this season.
Boston led 40-34 after one quarter and 59-49 at halftime. The Celtics led by 13 points three times in the second quarter.
White scored 14 points in the third, when the Celtics were up by as many as 16. Pritchard made a 3-pointer that just beat the buzzer at the end of the quarter to give Boston a 92-77 advantage. Mitchell kept Cleveland close by putting up 16 points in the third.
The Cavaliers trailed by 26 with just under four minutes to play in the game.
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Thursday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) in Boston.
veryGood! (446)
Related
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- Trump proposes green cards for foreign grads of US colleges, departing from anti-immigrant rhetoric
- Amazon announces 'largest reduction in plastic packaging,' doing away with air pillows
- Biden campaign targets Latino voters for Copa América
- SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
- US Olympic track and field trials: 6 athletes to watch include Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
- Angel Reese sets WNBA rookie record with seventh consecutive double-double
- Copa America 2024 live: Updates, score as Canada keeps Messi, Argentina scoreless, 0-0
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Lockheed Martin subsidiaries reach $70 million settlement for claims they overcharged Navy for parts
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Stock market today: Asian shares mostly decline as Nvidia weighs on Wall Street
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Straight A's
- McDonald's unveils new $5 meal deal coming this summer, as franchise focuses on 'value'
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- How does heat kill? It confuses your brain. It shuts down your organs. It overworks your heart.
- Texas medical panel issues new guidelines for doctors but no specific exceptions for abortion ban
- UK fans wonder if Taylor Swift will say ‘So long, London’ after Eras Tour
Recommendation
Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
Get 50% Off Banana Republic, 60% Off H&M, 20% Off Parachute Bedding, 67% Off Beachwaver & More Deals
Luke Combs Tearfully Reveals Why He Missed the Birth of Son Beau
US Olympic and other teams will bring their own AC units to Paris, undercutting environmental plan
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
Jennifer Lawrence to Star in Real Housewives-Inspired Movie That Will Have You Saying Bravo
Level Up Your Outfits With These Target Clothes That Look Expensive
Who is Alex Sarr? What to know about top NBA draft prospect from France