Celtics-Cavaliers takeaways: Tatum outduels Mitchell in win for C's

Celtics-Cavaliers takeaways: Tatum outduels Mitchell in win for C's originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Three Key Storylines

• Much better start for C's

• Boston's defense steps up

• Mitchell does his best, but it's not enough

The Cleveland Cavaliers were a thorn in the Boston Celtics' side last season, winning three of their four matchups.

The Celtics look determined to flip the script in 2023-24, and they're off to a great start with back-to-back wins over the Cavs this week, the latest coming Thursday night at TD Garden.

The Celtics led nearly the entire game, but the Cavs trimmed Boston's advantage to 90-87 by the end of the third quarter. The C's pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure a 116-107 victory, improving their record to an NBA-leading 18-5.

Boston also is a perfect 12-0 at home this season and has won 19 straight regular-season home games dating back to last season. That's the fourth-longest streak in team history and the longest since 1986-87.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 27 points, and 12 of them came in the fourth quarter. All five C's starters scored 14 or more points.

The Celtics will be right back at it Friday and Sunday against the Magic, with both games to be played in Boston. The Magic have won four straight games versus the C's dating back to last season.

Before we look ahead to those two games, here are three takeaways from Celtics-Cavaliers.

Much better start

The Celtics had to overcome a poor start in Tuesday's matchup with the Cavs when they fell behind 31-21 after the first quarter. Boston came out with much better energy on both ends of the floor Thursday and decisively won the opening 12 minutes.

The Celtcs held a 33-24 advantage after the first quarter, led by Jaylen Brown's nine points on 4-of-6 shooting.

Tatum chipped in seven points with three rebounds and two assists, while Derrick White (seven points) and Kristaps Porzingis (five points) also made solid contributions.

The Celtics shot 60 percent from the field (12-of-20) and from the 3-point line (6-for-10) in the first quarter.

Boston's defense was fantastic in the quarter, too. They forced five Cleveland turnovers and held the Cavs to a dismal 1-of-10 shooting from 3-point range.

Good starts have been much more common for the C's than sluggish ones. After Thursday, the Celtics rank third in the league in first quarter points per game (31.2) and second in first quarter field goal percentage (50.6).

Celtics' defense shines

The Celtics scored 116 points and shot well from the field, but it was their defense that really propelled them to victory.

The C's came into Thursday allowing the opponent to hit 15-plus 3-pointers and shoot at least 40 percent on those attempts in each of the last four games. They did a much better job defending the perimeter versus the Cavs, who shot 33.3 percent (11-of-33) from 3-point range.

Boston also defended the paint very well. Tatum blocked a team-high three shots, including this emphatic swat in the fourth quarter that drew a huge roar from the crowd.

The Celtics tallied eight blocks a team, in addition to seven steals. They also forced 16 Cavaliers turnovers and won the rebounding battle 44-39.

The Celtics talked a lot in the preseason about being an elite defensive team, and they're on track to achieving that goal through 23 games. Boston ranks fourth in the league in both defensive rating and opponents points per game.

Donovan Mitchell loves playing vs. Celtics

If Mitchell played against the Celtics all the time, he'd probably be a top MVP candidate. For whatever reason, the Cavs guard loves playing against the Celtics, and that's evident in his stats.

Mitchell entered Thursday averaging 29.5 points per game in his career against the Celtics, which is his highest total versus any team (minimum three or more matchups). The Celtics have allowed an opposing player to score 40-plus points 11 times over the last two years, and Mitchell accounts for four of them.

Mitchell gave another strong performance Thursday, scoring 31 points on 12-of-24 shooting with eight rebounds and six assists.

Unfortunately for Mitchell, he didn't get a ton of help from his teammates. Darius Garland was the only other Cleveland starter to score in double digits. Only three players for the Cavs -- Mitchell, Garland and Caris LeVert -- scored 10-plus points.