CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t quit.
For much of Saturday’s game, it just didn’t feel like their night. But everything changed during a gutsy, grimy fourth quarter. The Cavs stunned the Boston Celtics, 91-89, for their second win in as many nights.
It didn’t matter that they scored nine points during a listless first quarter. It didn’t matter that Boston led by 19 points in the second half or 12 going into the fourth quarter. It didn’t matter that the Cavs shot just 38.3% from the field and 26.3% from 3-point range. It didn’t matter that Cleveland was missing nearly 40 points per game from the usual rotation with Kevin Love, Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton sidelined. It didn’t matter that it was far from their best performance.
These Cavs don’t quit. They fight and scrap. They find a way — even when it looks improbable.
“It was the mental and physical toughness,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s the bond that our guys have built to not want to disappoint one another. We keep talking about chemistry, bonding and belief in one another. It was on full display tonight. That’s the only way you can explain it. There’s no basketball reason we should have won that game. But there was a collective spirit that refused to allow us to lose that game.”
With four reserves — Ricky Rubio, Denzel Valentine, Dylan Windler and Cedi Osman — alongside rookie Evan Mobley, Cleveland opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run. An Osman bomb at the 10:03 mark sent a jolt through Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse — and cut Boston’s lead to just four. The arena was alive. The Cavs were as well.
“That first half I wasn’t really myself. I wasn’t really feeling good. But I knew in the second half I was going to turn it up,” Osman said. “I trusted myself, I trusted my shots and I always like to play in front of the fans. It was definitely a great, great feeling. When I saw all those people standing up I was like, ‘We’re not losing this game, man. We’re going to get this one. We’re not giving up.’”
Moments later, at the 6:43 mark, Cleveland took its first lead since the opening minutes. The two teams traded baskets until Darius Garland hit a pair of clutch free throws with nine seconds remaining for a two-point edge.
The Cavs have played many tight games this season. They were in that familiar position once again, needing just one stop for an unlikely victory.
Cleveland forced the ball away from Jayson Tatum. It was Dennis Schroder one-on-one against Osman, who was critical in the second-half rally. Osman punctuated his night by forcing Schroder into a contested baseline jumper that bounced off the rim and caused the arena to go wild. As Bickerstaff said earlier this season, something special is brewing.
“It was definitely a great game,” Osman said. “We fought all the way until the end. That’s the character that we’ve been talking about since the beginning of the year. I’m really proud of this team and the way we fought. I know we didn’t play our best basketball, but it was really important to win this game while we were playing like this. Everybody gave 100 percent tonight. These fans were unbelievable tonight. They were like our sixth man. Very important win for us.”
The Cavs outscored the Celtics, 29-15 in the fourth quarter. They forced eight turnovers in those 12 minutes, cranking up the defense, which has become this feisty group’s calling card this season.
Garland led the way. He scored 22 points, including 18 in the first half. Mobley added 19 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, two steals and one assist in a team-high 40 minutes. The rookie who plays with an uncommon maturity and feel for the moment scored 12 points in the fourth quarter. The Cavs repeatedly fed Mobley in crunch time.
With his first basket Saturday, Mobley recorded his 200th career point, becoming the first rookie in franchise history to record 200 points and 100 rebounds in 14 games or fewer.
Rubio, who played 21 of the 24 second-half minutes, finished with 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Jarrett Allen also reached double figures, scoring 11 points.
After Schroder’s miss, the buzzer sounded and the Cavs barked at center court — a new celebration this season. The NBA’s underdogs snatched another one.
Up next
The Cavs will host the Celtics for a second time on Monday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
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