Boston Celtics (43-21) beat Cleveland Cavaliers (39-25) 109-98 on the road on Sunday, March 8, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Celtics had the better start, winning the first 35-26 to lead by 9 after one. The Celtics kept the pressure on with a 21-10 second quarter, carrying a 20-point lead into halftime.
The Cavaliers won the third 33-30 to stay in front, taking a 17-point lead into the fourth. The Cavaliers took the fourth 29-23; the Celtics held on for a 109-98 regulation win.
What decided it
The Celtics made 23.8 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 17.4 for the Cavaliers. The Celtics got more from their shots, finishing at 53% effective field-goal shooting compared with 48.3% for the Cavaliers. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
The Cavaliers did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 7.6 against 10.7. The Celtics made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 93 possessions per team, the Celtics produced 117.3 points per 100 possessions to 105.4 for the Cavaliers.
The Celtics' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 38-12.
Who made the difference
Donovan Mitchell was the game's biggest individual force for CLE: 30 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast on 9-18 shooting. His Game Score of 27.8 led everyone. His team was +8 with him on the floor.
Baylor Scheierman led the Celtics with 16 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast on 6-8 shooting, good for a 17.2 Game Score.
James Harden (19 pts, 4 reb, 10 ast) and Baylor Scheierman (16 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 35% for the Celtics.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Boston Celtics lead 4-2.
The Celtics are now 43-21, and the Cavaliers are 39-25. The Celtics last five before this game: W-W-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.