BSJ Game Report: Celtics 117, Cavs 115 - Pritchard's 42 helps Celtics hold on

Everything you need to know about the Celtics' win over the Cavs, with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

Payton Pritchard came out hot, but fouls and turnovers hurt Boston and cut their 12-point lead down to two after the first quarter. Anfernee Simons kept them afloat to start the second, and Boston finished strong to push the halftime lead to seven. It got to 21 in the third before a monster run cut it to four early in the fourth. The Cavs had the ball with a chance to tie or win at the buzzer, but couldn't complete the comeback.

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Impressive win: Without Derrick White and Neemias Queta, and with the Celtics on the back-to-back, it felt like the Cavs were in a great spot to snag a win. Maybe they thought that themselves, because the Cavs looked sluggish for a lot of this game. The Celtics, meanwhile, played tough for most of the night, making this an impressive win during a very tough stretch. 

- Pritchard bounces back: He really struggled against the Timberwolves, but he came out of the gates firing and never let up. 

“(I was) disappointed off of how I played last night in Minnesota,” he told Abby Chin in his walk-off interview. “I wanted to come out here and give it everything I’ve got tonight and try to pull out this win.”

He finished one point shy of his career-high and he was the one shutting the door down the stretch.

- Jaylen Brown triple-double: He shot poorly, but he still notched his fourth career triple-double. What made it impressive is that he didn’t try to take the game from Pritchard. He let the hot hand ride and close things out. 

TURNING POINT 

The Celtics went on a 7-0 run to push their lead to 11 with 4:32 to go. They were able to go back-and-forth with Cleveland to keep it there until the 1:55 mark, which proved to be JUST enough time and pad to be too much for the Cavs to overcome. 

THINGS I LIKED

- Payton Pritchard: He didn’t just have one big quarter to get his 42 points; he spread it out over the four quarters. He went 10, 8, 9, 15 on his way to a near career night, but it was the close to the game that was best. Brown was clearly gassed in this game, and Pritchard had the ball-handling skills and free-throw percentage to be the choice to close things out. Eleven of his 15 came in the final 3:07.

- Jaylen Brown: His two passes to baseline cutters got Boston really important baskets in the fourth quarter.

 And even though he didn’t shoot well, he got himself to the line 14 times. Maybe the complaining about the calls worked. 

- Jordan Walsh: He had a career-high 14 points, but I think him ripping the ball out of De’Andre Hunter’s hands was his best play of the night. 

“I went for a jump ball. I was kind of just holding on to it,” he told reporters after the win. “I held on to it for a second, and they didn’t call a jump ball, so I was like ‘as a matter of fact, lemme just get that.” 

He also had 11 rebounds, six on the offensive boards. He’s still fouling too much, but he did a lot of the little things to help get the win.

Xavier Tillman: He was a DNP-CD in nine of his last 10 games and the one game he played was less than five minutes at Brooklyn. Then he played 30 minutes and contributed nine points, six rebounds, three steals and a blocked shot. 

Tillman has a great attitude, which Sam Hauser explained at the team’s practice last week. 

“He’s definitely got his priorities straight,” he said. “(He’s) a father of three at home, he's a husband, and that's his main thing. And he comes in every day and works, has gratitude for where he's at. Even though he hasn't had many opportunities this year, he stays ready. He's in the gym working for when his number is called, he’s ready. It’s always good to have guys like that who, no matter how it's going for them, they put the team before themselves, and he's just a great teammate to have.”

- Anfernee Simons: He gave them a huge boost with 18 points off the bench. Half of those came in the second quarter, a stretch where Boston needed someone to carry the load until the starters returned in a tight game. This game would have gone very differently if Simons wasn’t there for them here. It’s an underrated clutch performance early in the game. 

- Hugo Gonzalez: He didn’t play much, but his steal from Hunter in a four-point game in the fourth quarter, followed by a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, needed to be mentioned here. That was a massive swing. 

- Free throw disparity: The Celtics actually won the game at the line. They lost every other margin but were +14 at the free throw line, which was enough to get them the win. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- The margins: Here are the ugly numbers: 

• They turned it over 19 times, leading to 25 Cavs points (-5 in that category)

• They gave up 16 offensive rebounds (-1) for 18 second chance points (-2)

• They allowed 94 field goal attempts (-13)

• The Cavs made 20 3-pointers (-6)

It’s not often that a team can lose by 18 at the 3-point line and five in turnover points and still win the game. 

HIGHLIGHTS

TWO TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- This is a great stretch for the Celtics. 

Obviously we’re all focused on the problems the Celtics face. The loss to Brooklyn made things worse, and the tough finishes in these games makes it feel a little off, but the Celtics are still finding a way to handle their business. They have wins against Orlando, Detroit, and Cleveland, teams with 12, 12, and 16 wins right now.  They are a half game behind the Cavs right now and a game out of the top 6 as we wrap up the first quarter of the season.

They finish the month 8-5. The losses against Utah and Brooklyn are offset by the wins over Detroit and Cleveland. 

It’s really not bad for a team with so much to figure out. 

- When does Joe Mazzulla start getting some credit?

Some people will never change their minds, but this team plays hard, never quits, and is beating some good teams. They're doing it with starting lineups that include Jordan Walsh or Josh Minott. Derrick White hasn’t been himself. Pritchard has had some great nights and some stinkers. 

The coaching has to matter here, doesn’t it? 

I KNOW this is going to get some angry responses, but I feel like if Mazzulla was fired this summer and replaced with Tom Thibodeau, and this season went the EXACT same way, Thibs would be getting some credit for getting these guys to play above their heads. 

Next Up: The Celtics return home to face the Knicks Tuesday night.