Going Green
After having their four-game run halted on Wednesday night, J.B. Bickerstaff’s young squad got right back into the win column on Friday – and look to keep it rolling as the Celtics roll in for the first of two meetings in three days.
The Celtics roll in after winning an overtime thriller on Friday night. The Wine & Gold coasted to victory to even their mark on the homestand.
Cleveland was stingy in the first stanza on Friday night, but completely clamped down on Detroit after intermission – holding the Pistons to 11 points in the third period and running their fourth-quarter edge to 27 before Coach Bickerstaff emptied the bench.
Still without the services of Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Love – and after losing Lamar Stevens to an ankle injury in the first half on Friday – the Cavaliers were led by Darius Garland, who finished with a game-high 21 points, going 4-for-9 from beyond the arc, adding seven assists and a pair of steals.
Cedi Osman and Ricky Rubio both had strong nights off the bench – Cedi finishing with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and Rubio leading both teams with nine assists and five steals.
Evan Mobley outdueled Cade Cunningham – finishing with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including both triples he attempted, adding seven boards, a pair of steals and three blocked shots.
The Celtics come to town having dropped a shorthanded Bucks team – playing without both Giannis and Khris Middleton – in overtime on Friday night in Boston. Dennis Schroder had a monster night – leading both teams with 38 points, including eight of his team’s 14 points in the extra session.
The 6-6 Celtics remain in town and will face the Cavs again on Monday night – with Cleveland wrapping up its four-game homestand before heading to Brooklyn on Wednesday.
History
The Wine & Gold took two of three from the Celtics last year – avenging a lopsided loss in Boston with two decisions at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse – but trail in the long, historied series, 82-134. The all-time postseason mark is a different story. The Cavaliers lead that one, 24-22, including each of the last three series – in 2015, ’17 and ’18.
The Celtics best single-game scoring mark belongs to Paul Pierce, who went off for 50 points in a Boston loss – falling an epic double-overtime duel against LeBron James, who finished with a 43-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist triple-double. The Cavaliers high-water mark belongs to Brad Daugherty, who went off for 44 points in a double-digit win over Larry Bird and Co. at the Coliseum.
Connections
The great Tacko Fall – who made his Cleveland Charge debut with a 23-point, 12-rebound, three-block performance on Thursday night – spent his first two NBA seasons with the Celtics – averaging just under 3.0 points per in 25 appearances.
To the delight of the crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Fall saw his longest stretch of the season in Friday’s blowout over Detroit – canning his only field goal attempt, a lay-up on a feed from Dylan Windler to put the Cavs up 25 with three minutes to play.