The Boston Celtics finally found themselves in their first crunch-time situation of the postseason Monday night, and they passed the test.
Despite allowing the Cleveland Cavaliers to cut a 15-point deficit down to five in the fourth quarter, Boston managed to maintain a two-possession lead to the final buzzer of Game 4, capturing a 109-102 win at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse to take a 3-1 series advantage.
For the Celtics, it was the first game of their playoff run in which fewer than 10 points decided the final score, and it was their first win by fewer than 13. It was also the first time they had found themselves in a clutch scenario (when the score is within five points during the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime) since a 101-100 win over the Sacramento Kings on April 5.
“It’s been a while since we had a grind-it-out, tough, back-and-forth, fight-it-out game,” said Jrue Holiday. “So it felt good to really just get out there and execute and know that any type of game we play, we can execute and get the win.”
Cleveland made things tough on Boston despite dealing with the last-minute absence of Donovan Mitchell, who was ruled out before tip-off with a calf strain.
Darius Garland stepped up to help fill his backcourt mate’s scoring and playmaking voids with a 30-point, seven-assist effort. The Cavs also received a pair of 19-point performances from Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley, along with a 15-point, seven-rebound, seven-assist night from Max Strus.
However, the C’s countered with some masterful individual performances of their own. Jayson Tatum logged his second straight 33-point outing to go along with 11 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Jaylen Brown added 27 points and eight rebounds. And Jrue Holiday chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
When it came down to clutch time, that second group was more poised than the first. Especially Brown and Tatum, combining for nine of Boston’s 11 points in the final five minutes.
“Give credit to Cleveland,” said Brown. “They came out with great energy. They played fast, they played hard. They tried to speed us up, they tried to rattle us. And I think it worked in the first half. Then in the second half we imposed ourselves a little better and pulled away a little bit.”
Even though it’s easier on the heart to win in blowout fashion, Joe Mazzulla loves seeing his team grind it out in these crunch-time scenarios.
“I think it’s good to be in those situations,” Boston’s head coach said. “It takes what it takes, so however we have to win the game, we have to do it, so it was good to get reps playing different ways.”
That includes defensive reps. Sure, the team hit some big shots late in the game, but they made some even bigger stops.
“We hung our hat tonight on the defensive end,” said Tatum. “We made timely shots and even the ones that we didn't necessarily make, some of those kick-out threes, just good execution. Sometimes you don't make shots, but how connected we were on the defensive end – when we had to get stops, we did.”
The fact that this gritty win came on the road made it all the more impressive.
“It’s a tough environment, the crowd was great, but as a competitor, it’s really fun to be in an environment like that, win on the road,” said Tatum, whose Celtics came away with two wins in Cleveland, where the Cavs had gone 4-0 in the previous round. “Now it’s time to go back and play well in front of our fans and give them something to cheer for and try to get a win.”
