CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs continue to make their endings interesting.
After trailing for all but seven and a half minutes against the Celtics Sunday night, they made fans walking to the exits look over their shoulders and freeze in their tracks with a comeback attempt in the final minutes of regulation — before falling 117-115 to Boston.
Led by their All-Star backcourt in Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, who combined for 22 of the team’s 36 fourth quarter points, there was life in Rocket Arena. A crowd that once booed its home team roared with anticipation.
While the scoring put the jolt into the building, it was Mitchell poking the ball loose against Jaylen Brown, chasing the ball down the floor and hitting the deck to secure the loose ball that ignited belief into his team.
Garland’s 3-pointer to cut the Celtics lead to one with 1.2 seconds remaining gave Cleveland a chance.
The Cavs sent Jaylen Brown to the free throw line and he split. Cleveland had a chance to walkaway with a victory in a game that they were down by 21 points at one point.
It came down to a shot with 0.7 seconds left. An Evan Mobley 21-foot fadeaway jumper.
The shot didn’t fall. The rally stopped inches short. And the Cavs walked off with a loss that carried both frustration and a flicker of something they have been searching for.
This has been the story of Cleveland’s season through the quarter-mark. Long stretches of uneven play, followed by sudden bursts of resolve that make the potential impossible to ignore.
Sunday added another page to 82-game book.
How to watch the Cavs: See how to watch the Cavs games with this handy game-by-game TV schedule.
The Celtics arrived on the second night of a back-to-back and without Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Neemias Queta. The Cavs were also shorthanded. Jarrett Allen, Lonzo Ball, Sam Merrill, Larry Nance Jr. and Max Strus were all sidelined for the Cavs. The game became a contest of which team could muster more intention than excuses.
Boston struck first.
The Celtics ran out to a 13-2 lead before Cleveland could settle into a possession. The Cavs spent the rest of the first half trying to match their force. The bench stepped in and supplied what the starters lacked.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin cut behind defenders and challenged shots with length. Craig Porter Jr. settled the offense. Tyrese Proctor processed the floor quickly and found teammates in pockets of space.
Then came the final three minutes of the second quarter. Those lapses have haunted Cleveland all season, and Sunday offered another example. The Celtics strung together a 9-0 run before halftime. Cleveland’s energy dipped, and Boston walked into the break with momentum restored.
Mobley opened the third quarter with the assertiveness Cleveland has been craving. He scored inside, stretched Boston out and reminded everyone on the floor which big man held the most talent. He finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds and dictated the early rhythm of the second half. The 7-footer played like the most gifted big man on the floor because he was the most gifted big man on the floor. Xavier Tillman and Amari Williams battled, but they were overmatched.
But the Cavs couldn’t slow Payton Pritchard, who carved through their defense with handoff actions and ball screens. He finished with 42 points and hit six threes. His shotmaking widened the gap and forced Kenny Atkinson to reshuffle lineups.
By the time the fourth quarter arrived, Cleveland needed a jolt. Their starters held some of the night’s worst plus-minus numbers. The bench had done its part.
The Cavs required their stars to drag them back into the fight. That responsibility fell to Garland and Mitchell late.
They pulled up from deep. They slipped through gaps that had been sealed earlier in the game. They played with urgency that the Cavs have struggled to summon for full games. The crowd fed off them. The bench fed off them. And the possibility of a stolen win became real.
But the Cavs chased the game for long stretches and paid the price. Close finishes keep appearing on the schedule and Cleveland keeps running out of time.
The injuries have shaped Cleveland’s story so far, yet the broader picture is clear.
This league is unforgiving. The East is wide open. Every team has a puncher’s chance and each matchup requires a complete game. The Cavs have struggled to string together full 48-minute efforts, and the growing pile of close calls is starting to weigh on them. Because Cleveland hasn’t stitched together enough complete performances to fully take advantage of the landscape.
There is still time for this season to swing upward. The roster will get healthier. Roles will settle. Young players will grow. But the league won’t wait for Cleveland to catch up. Nights like this only underline how much urgency lives inside every possession and how quickly winnable games slip away when urgency or focus fades.
Next
The Cavs now become the team in the second night of a back-to-back as they travel to Indiana to face the Pacers on Monday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
