Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley Spark Cavaliers’ Stunning Comeback Against Celtics

BOSTON – The Cleveland Cavaliers delivered a jaw-dropping comeback win Friday night, rallying from 22 points down to defeat the Boston Celtics 123-116. Sure, it wasn’t a playoff game, but it felt like one – minus the stakes and the life-or-death energy of May basketball.

The Cavaliers split the season series 2-2 with the defending champs, but there was no chest-pounding post-game. Coach Kenny Atkinson kept it real, saying this wasn’t a “must-win.” That perspective might be due to the unpredictability of regular-season matchups as predictors for playoff outcomes. Still, Cleveland’s performance Friday night sent a strong message: this team is deeper, smarter, and more cohesive than the squad that fell to the Celtics in last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Boston came out swinging, hitting seven three-pointers in the first five minutes for a dizzying 25-3 lead. TD Garden was deafening, the kind of noise that shakes your bones – even if you’re watching from your couch. But the Cavaliers didn’t flinch. By halftime, Cleveland had matched Boston’s three-point count (17 total by game’s end) and began clawing back into the game.

“We’re super resilient,” said Darius Garland, who contributed 20 points and seven assists. “We’re not about to just let a game fall away from us like that.” Resilient is an understatement. The Cavs didn’t just erase one deficit; they erased two. After trimming a 22-point gap to two in the second quarter, they found themselves trailing by 17 in the third. And yet, they rose again.

A key turning point came when Boston’s Jaylen Brown picked up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter, forcing him to sit. The Celtics’ lead shrank from 14 to just three by the end of the period. But Cleveland’s Evan Mobley had a similar foul trouble story – except his comeback was something out of a sports movie.

Mobley, who had struggled most of the night, returned in the fourth quarter to deliver a personal highlight reel. Nine consecutive points, two clutch three-pointers, and a total of 11 points with eight rebounds in the final quarter flipped the script. “He changed the game,” Atkinson said.

On Boston’s side, Jayson Tatum was a one-man army with 46 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists, while Brown added 37. But despite their brilliance, it was Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell who stole the show. Mitchell dropped 41 points, 26 of which came after halftime. He was relentless, attacking the rim, sinking threes, and hitting 10 of 11 free throws. When the game got tight in the fourth, Mitchell’s five consecutive points sealed the deal for Cleveland.

“You know, I talk about Evan taking over the game in the fourth … but for some reason, Donovan, and I’m the most culpable, I don’t give him enough credit, it’s crazy … but he was phenomenal,” Atkinson said, with a candidness that only adds to the intrigue of this team.

The Celtics were without Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, sidelined by injury and illness, respectively. Would they have played if it were the playoffs? Probably. But as Mitchell himself put it, “No championship is won tonight.” Still, Cleveland’s ability to respond to adversity, weather a hostile crowd, and outlast one of the league’s best teams bodes well for their playoff aspirations.

Keep an eye on the Cavaliers. If last night is any indication, there’s plenty of fight left in this team.