Donovan Mitchell goes on unreal 7-point run to shut TD Garden down in fourth vs Celtics
The Cleveland Cavaliers, led by Donovan Mitchell, stormed TD Garden in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, overcoming the -13.5 favorite Boston Celtics in the fourth quarter to get the 118-94 win.
The Cleveland Cavaliers closed out the third quarter with a 90-78 lead, thanks to a tough three-pointer by Donovan Mitchell from the left wing. Despite being heavily contested by Celtics' standout Jayson Tatum, and just before Jaylen Brown could double-team the All-Star, the Cavaliers finished the quarter with a 36-24 advantage.
As the fourth period got underway, the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by Donovan Mitchell, continued to dominate. Mitchell scored seven consecutive points, dampening the spirits of the home crowd as he propelled the Cavaliers to hand the hosts their second loss of the 2023-24 NBA Playoffs.
Following Jaylen Brown's successful free throws, the Cavaliers stretched their lead to 15 points with a Donovan Mitchell 3-pointer from the top of the key, banking it in despite Al Horford's efforts to contest without committing a foul, ultimately proving futile.
Mitchell relentlessly attacked the Celtics' defense, driving past Derrick White on back-to-back possessions to score consecutive layups and single-handedly fuel a scoring run.
Donovan Mitchell and Cleveland Cavaliers successfully steal Game 2 vs Boston Celtics
The Celtics' Game 2 loss to the Heat in the first round of the playoffs initially sparked some angst, but it quickly became a minor detail as Boston secured victories in the next three games, advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Cavaliers.
Now, Boston must demonstrate once more that their Game 2 stumble was merely a hiccup. On Thursday night, the Celtics were overwhelmed in the second half by Mitchell and the Cavaliers, who evened the series at 1-1. Game 3 is set to take place in Cleveland on Saturday night.
Mitchell managed only 6 points in the first half but erupted for 23 in the second, helping the Cavaliers outscore the Celtics 64-40 after halftime while shooting 54.7 percent from the field.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, but he struggled to take control of the game when it was most needed. Boston's shooting woes were evident as they made just 7 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc.