NBA: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum help Celtics dump Cavaliers

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown recorded 23 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists as Boston built a commanding early lead and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 109–98 on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.

Jayson Tatum added 20 points on 6-of-16 shooting for the Celtics, who remain second in the Eastern Conference behind the Detroit Pistons. The six-time All-Star continued his return from injury, playing in just his second game back after tearing his right Achilles during the 2025 NBA playoffs in May.

Despite the loss, Cleveland received strong performances from Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. Mitchell led all scorers with 30 points, while Mobley contributed 24 points and eight rebounds. The defeat ended the Cavaliers’ season-high seven-game home winning streak. Cleveland had been playing well recently, posting a 22–9 record since Dec. 29.

Boston’s bench also played a key role in the victory. Payton Pritchard finished with 18 points and seven assists, while Baylor Scheierman delivered a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sam Hauser chipped in 15 points, connecting on five shots from beyond the arc.

The Celtics appeared in control for most of the game and led by as many as 26 points. Boston held an 81–55 advantage during the third quarter before Cleveland mounted a late push. The Cavaliers trimmed the deficit to eight points midway through the fourth quarter after a three-pointer from Jaylon Tyson made it 94–86. James Harden added 19 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland in the comeback attempt.

Boston established momentum early. Tatum scored 14 points in the first half and Brown added 11 as the Celtics built a 56–36 lead at halftime. Mobley had 14 first-half points for Cleveland, but the Cavaliers struggled offensively, missing 22 of their first 24 attempts from three-point range and shooting just 28.9 percent from the field.

Cleveland started strong, with Mobley scoring seven points to help the Cavaliers take an early 11–3 lead. However, Tatum quickly shifted the momentum, scoring 12 points over the next seven minutes to push Boston ahead 35–26 by the end of the first quarter.

The Celtics played without newly acquired center Nikola Vucevic, who underwent surgery Saturday to repair a fractured right ring finger. Vucevic, obtained in a trade with the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 5, will be re-evaluated in early April.

Cleveland was also short-handed. Center Jarrett Allen missed the game due to a sore right knee, while rookie guard Tyrese Proctor was sidelined with a right quadriceps strain.

The victory marked the start of a challenging three-game road trip for Boston. The Celtics will next face the San Antonio Spurs before taking on the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

—Field Level Media/Reuters