The Boston Celtics sent a message to the rest of the NBA on Tuesday night. Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics confirmed that they are still the team to beat in the NBA after knocking off the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-117 in NBA Cup play, handing the Cavs their first loss of the season.
The Cavs came into this one with a ton of hype after a 15-0 start to the regular season, but the Celtics proved one again that they are still the top dogs in the Eastern Conference until proven otherwise. Like most games between these two elite teams, it was a physical battle on both ends of the floor that came down to the final minutes.
After the game, Mazzulla expressed what he likes about this matchup with the Cavs, according to Bobby Manning of CLNS Media.
“I hope teams continue to be physical, because it helps get us reps,” Mazzulla said, per Manning.
The physicality in this matchup didn’t boil over into a bunch of fouls or anything like that, but there were a few pretty hard bumps. Jayson Tatum was nearly called for a Flagrant 1 foul at the end of the game for running over Donovan Mitchell.
There was also a lot of action on the interior in this one. The Cavs finished with 60 points in the paint and were unafraid to challenge the Celtics defense on the interior, and their massive front court of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen always makes it a long day for opposing bigs.
Celtics still the top dogs in the Eastern Conference
Tuesday night was just one regular season game, but it was clear right from the opening tip that this one meant a little bit more to the Celtics. Sure, it was a massive game in the NBA Cup race after Boston took a shocking loss to the Atlanta Hawks last week, but the Celtics had a point to prove.
Much of the discussion coming into this one was about whether the Cavs should be considered the team to beat in the Eastern Conference due to their 15-0 record. The Celtics came into this one at 11-3, but they have taken a few puzzling losses that have allowed the Cavs to pull ahead in the standings.
On Tuesday night, the Celtics proved that the defending champs should get the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. When faced with adversity against the Cavs, they responded time and time again after jumping out to a 21-point lead early in the game.
The Celtics defense against the Cavs’ two star guards was arguably the most impressive part of this win. In this game, Darius Garland shot just 3-for-21 from the floor and Donovan Mitchell finished 13-for-29. When the Cavs aren’t able to get any scoring punch from their backcourt, they struggle on the offensive end.
The Cavs made a bit of a comeback late, but the Celtics showed their championship mettle in the fourth quarter. Every time the Cavs were about to seize momentum, the Celtics responded to remain in the lead. As a result, they won the first battle at the top of the Eastern Conference.
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