Tatum dazzles as Celtics nip Mitchell-less Cavs for ECF berth
Welsh Kendrick Osorio
The Celts pounced once again on the absence of the Spida, as they head back to a familiar territory.
Powered by a sterling performance of Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics showcased firm composure down the stretch to hand the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers a 113-98 drubbing to return to the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday at the TD Garden.
Photo Courtesy of Adam Glanzman / Getty Images. |
Tatum flashed his all-around brilliance, drilling in an almost triple-double performance after finishing with 25 markers on top of 10 boards and nine dimes in a 43-minute of action.
The Duke University product expressed that Boston had prepared for a scuffle despite Cleveland's injury-hit line-up.
"Anybody who's played in this league understands what happens when somebody's best players are out, the rest of the guys have more freedom. They play with a different level of confidence and they play different," said Tatum.
Lead scorer Donovan Mitchell, center Jarrett Allen, and key reserve Caris LeVert of the Cavs were confirmed to be sidelined with injuries earlier on Wednesday, shattering the team's chances of making a run in the best-of-seven series.
After a nip and tuck battle midway in the battle, the Joe Mazzulla-mentored squad bulldozed their way into the wretched inside defense of the Cavaliers, cementing a 13-2 blitz capped off by a Tatum trey to zoom in to a comfortable 101-87 advantage.
The top-seeded Celtics continued to dictate the tempo in the latter stages of the match as Jrue Holiday took over with timely baskets off Tatum's flashy passes, holding off Cleveland to a double-digit deficit and sealing the deal.
Meanwhile, big man Al Horford doled out a double-double output with 22 points and 15 rebounds while point guard Derrick White poured in 18 markers and six assists to muscle the grit of the C's to victory.
On the other hand, Evan Mobley paced the JB Bickerstaff-coached troop with game-high 33 markers, failing to whittle down the margin in the payoff period despite late-game heroics as they fell prey to the Celts' suffocating defense.
Boston will now await the winner of the matchup between New York and Indiana, with the Knicks leading the series, 3-2.