CLEVELAND — Jayson Tatum scored 33 points, Jaylen Brown added 28 and the Boston Celtics looked more like themselves after stumbling at home, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-93 Saturday night in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in Eastern Conference semifinals. .
The top-seeded Celtics didn’t mess around after losing Game 2 on their home floor by 24.
That lackluster performance — Boston was favored by double digits — was reminiscent of the first round, when the Celtics lost Game 2 to Miami before winning three in a row to eliminate the Heat.
“We just wanted to rebound,” said Tatum, who added 13 rebounds. “Disappointing loss the other night, in a hostile environment on the road. It was a good test for us to see how we react.
Tatum scored on a three-point play and the Celtics opened the second half with 14 straight points to take a 23-point lead.
It was too much for the Cavs, who overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to upset Boston in March.
Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points for Cleveland, but the All-Star guard aggravated a left knee injury in the fourth quarter and was fatigued.
With Boston up 13 and in control, Mitchell left the field with 1:19 left and headed straight to the locker room.
Cleveland got as close as nine on three occasions in the fourth, but the Celtics, who made just 8 of 35 from 3-point range in Game 2, got back-to-back 3s from Payton Pritchard and Derrick White to avoid the return of the Cavs.
Game 4 will take place Monday night in Cleveland.
Down by 23 and unable to stop Tatum, the Cavs clawed back.
They cut Boston’s lead to 15 late in the third and scored the first six points in the fourth, sending their towel-waving crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse looking for another upset into a frenzy.
But whenever the Celtics needed a bucket, they turned to Tatum or Brown, who broke down Cleveland’s defense for layups or made difficult, contested jump shots.
Evan Mobley added 17 points and Darius Garland and Caris LeVert 15 each for the Cavs, who lost for the first time at home in these playoffs.
Cleveland was again without starting center Jarrett Allen, who missed his sixth straight game with a painful rib injury.
Allen has been out since Game 4 of the first-round series against Orlando and it’s unclear when – or if – he will be available.
Mitchell made six 3-pointers and scored 23 in the first half to put the Cavs in pace, but Cleveland didn’t get enough from the rest of its starters or its bench as the Celtics opened a 3-point lead. 57-48 at halftime.
After the Celtics were stunned at home in Game 2 despite being heavy favorites, coach Joe Mazzulla said the message to his players heading into Game 3 was simple.
“Do what you do best and do it better,” he said.
The Celtics started out cold again, missing their first two 3-pointers before making 5 of 8 to take a 30-28 lead after one.
Cleveland got a nice early boost as forward Dean Wade made his playoff debut after missing the last two months with a sprained knee.
Wade, who scored a career-high 23 against Boston on March 5 when the Cavs overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit, made a 3-pointer on his first touch.
Boston center Kristaps Porzingis missed his fourth straight game with a calf strain.
New York Post
