Field Level Media
Mar 4, 2020
Jayson Tatum scored 32 points, Semi Ojeleye added a career-high 22 points and the injury-depleted Boston Celtics outlasted the host Cleveland Cavaliers, 112-106, on Wednesday night.
Playing on the second leg of a back-to-back, Boston came into Wednesday's matchup without Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown -- all of whom played in Tuesday's 129-120 overtime loss to Brooklyn.
But Walker missed the trip to Cleveland to rest a sore knee, Hayward was scratched Wednesday after coming out of Tuesday's game, and Brown was out with a tweaked hamstring.
Boston started a makeshift lineup with Brad Wanamaker and Grant Williams joining Daniel Theis and Marcus Smart. Tatum returned from illness, however, and powered the Celtics with 5-of-10 shooting from the 3-point line, nine rebounds and six assists.
The Celtics bench also came up big behind Ojeleye's career night. Enes Kanter added 10 points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds playing reserve minutes.
Cleveland kept pace with Boston all night behind a career-high 41 points from Collin Sexton, marking the third time this week that Sexton set a career scoring mark.
His eruption also marked the third consecutive game in which a typically stingy Boston defense gave up big scoring numbers from an opposing guard.
Russell Westbrook scored 41 points against the Celtics on Saturday, and Caris LeVert scored 37 of his 51 points in the fourth quarter and overtime on Tuesday.
Sexton's 41 points marked the first 40-plus-point game from a Cavalier since Jordan Clarkson in February 2019.
Cleveland also got double-doubles from Kevin Love, with 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Larry Nance Jr., who finished with 19 points and tied a career-high with 15 rebounds.
A Cavaliers side also riddled with injuries failed to get much scoring production from their bench, however. The Cleveland reserves totaled just seven points.
Cleveland played without Andre Drummond, Darius Garland, Alfonzo McKinnie and Tristan Thompson.
--Field Level Media