Mitchell scores 35, Cavs end Celtics' winning streak with 115-111 win in matchup of East's elite

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer

Mitchell scores 35, Cavs end Celtics' winning streak with 115-111 win in matchup of East's elite By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer The Associated Press CLEVELAND

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter as the Cleveland Cavaliers ended Boston's seven-game winning streak with a 115-111 victory over the Celtics on Sunday night in the second intense matchup between the Eastern Conference’s top teams this season.

Mitchell made all six field-goal attempts — including four 3-pointers — in the fourth as the Cavs overcame a 12-point deficit. The All-Star guard scored 30 points in the second half after going just 2 of 8 from the floor in the first.

Darius Garland added 22 points for Cleveland, which got some revenge on Boston after the defending NBA champions handed the Cavs their first loss on Nov. 19 following a 15-0 start.

Jayson Tatum scored 33 points and Payton Pritchard 24 for the Celtics, who led 93-81 in the fourth before Mitchell took over. Kristaps Porzingis added 21 points for Boston.

The Celtics played without two starters: Jaylen Brown (illness) and Derrick White (foot sprain).

Takeaways

Celtics: Even short-handed, they pose so many problems with their offensive balance and arsenal of outside shooters.

Cavaliers: Mitchell showed why he's one of the league's best all-around players, shaking off a recent shooting slump (he went 5 of 23 in a loss to Atlanta on Friday) by making every big play down the stretch.

Key moment

With Boston trailing 113-110 with 5 seconds left, Pritchard made his first free throw before intentionally missing his second while hoping for a long rebound. However, he got called for stepping into the lane too early, giving the ball back to Cleveland. Mitchell then put it away with two free throws.

Key stat

Mitchell came in shooting just 40% (42 of 104) in his last five games.

Up Next

Celtics host Miami on Monday to begin a stretch of four home games in six nights, and Cavaliers host Washington on Tuesday.

Here's how we previewed the game, including our tip.

Celtics to hand Cavaliers a 3rd straight L

Boston have a lot to gain from victory in Cleveland tonight, including reclaiming what Bostonians treat as "rightfully theirs" - namely top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs are off the back of two successive losses against the Hawks, and the Celtics go into this game as slight favourites, even with Cleveland having home court advantage.

Boston are 8-11 against the spread, and Cleveland are 14-6 against the odds. The Celtics are 5-5 against the spread away from Boston, whilst the Cavaliers are 6-3 against the odds at home. The Celtics are 7-9 against the spread when facing an Eastern Conference team, while the Cavaliers are 10-6 against the odds when playing an Eastern Conference team.

We've trawled through the best tipping sites to bring you a summary of what NBA bets they are recommending for this game, saving you the time!

Dimers - forecasting a 117 - 115 win for Boston, which would mean the Celtics would scrape past the line and win with a -1.5 point handicap.
Clutch Points - a first pick for Cleveland, with a 1.5 handicap help from the line
Pickswise - are following Clutch Points and tipping Cleveland (+1.5) bet
Sportskeeda - picking the Cavs to win the game outright, and an Over (236.5) bet.
Betting Odds - like Dimers are picking Celtics (-1.5) for the line bet here.
Sportsline - are focusing on the Totals market, and are recommending a moderate bet on the Under (230) total.

Our tip lost, as Cleveland left the court with a 115-111 win.

Our player props write up is further down the page.