CLEVELAND -- — Jayson Tatum scored 22 points, Derrick White added 20 and the Boston Celtics showed their championship makeup down the stretch with a 112-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night in a matchup of the Eastern Conference's top teams.

The defending NBA titlists executed in the final minutes and held off the Cavs, who lost for just the fourth time in 28 home games.

Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points and Jaylen Brown 16 with nine rebounds as Boston won its fourth straight and improved to 2-1 against Cleveland this season.

Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Darius Garland 25 for the Cavs, who cut a 15-point deficit to four in the fourth quarter.

But the Celtics, who have won four straight, didn't buckle and responded in every crucial moment to put away the Cavs.

Jarrett Allen had 17 points and 18 rebounds for Cleveland.

Takeaways

Celtics: Porzingis' presence makes Boston that much tougher to defend. The 7-foot-3 big man was injured and missed last year's playoff series against Cleveland. The Cavs continually got caught making bad switches while trying to guard Porzingis.

Cavaliers: All-Star Evan Mobley had a rough night. He finished with just 7 points on 3 of 14 shooting and failed to make a significant impact at either end. Mobley recently returned from a calf injury and doesn't seem to have his explisiveness back.

Key moment

After the Cavs pulled within four late in the fourth, White hit a short jumper followed by back-to-back 3-pointers to give Boston a 107-97 lead with 2:41 left.

Key stat

Cleveland started just 1 of 14 on 3-pointers and finished 11 of 39 (28%) behind the arc. They've made at least 10 3s in 55 straight games.

Up next

On Thursday, the Celtics host Dallas, which just acquired Anthony Davis from the Lakers in a superstar swap for Luka Doncic. The Cavaliers are in Detroit on Wednesday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	Kristaps Porzingis vs. Jarrett Allen (Darius Garland gains possession)	0	0
11:52	Donovan Mitchell lost ball turnover (Derrick White steals)	0	0
11:45	Kristaps Porzingis misses 32-foot three point jumper	0	0
11:42	Donovan Mitchell defensive rebound	0	0
11:27	Evan Mobley misses 7-foot two point shot	0	0
11:24	Evan Mobley offensive rebound	0	0
11:22	Darius Garland misses 26-foot three point jumper	0	0
11:19	Jaylen Brown defensive rebound	0	0
11:13	Jaylen Brown misses 15-foot two point shot	0	0
11:09	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	0	0
10:56	Jarrett Allen makes 1-foot driving dunk (Darius Garland assists)	2	0
10:34	Jaylen Brown makes 13-foot pullup jump shot	2	2
10:21	Jrue Holiday shooting foul	2	2
10:21	Jarrett Allen makes free throw 1 of 2	3	2
10:21	Jarrett Allen makes free throw 2 of 2	4	2
10:07	Jrue Holiday misses 22-foot three point jumper	4	2
10:04	Derrick White offensive rebound	4	2
9:53	Jrue Holiday misses 12-foot two point shot	4	2
9:51	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	4	2
9:48	Jaylen Brown personal foul	4	2
9:40	Donovan Mitchell misses 29-foot three point step back jumpshot	4	2
9:37	Jrue Holiday defensive rebound	4	2
9:28	Jayson Tatum misses 13-foot two point shot	4	2
9:24	Donovan Mitchell defensive rebound	4	2
9:14	Evan Mobley misses 24-foot three point jumper	4	2
9:10	Jaylen Brown defensive rebound	4	2
9:05	Derrick White misses 22-foot three point shot	4	2
9:03	Max Strus defensive rebound	4	2
8:50	Darius Garland bad pass (Jrue Holiday steals)	4	2
8:44	Jrue Holiday misses two point shot	4	2
8:42	Max Strus defensive rebound	4	2
8:37	Evan Mobley misses 3-foot two point shot	4	2
8:35	Jarrett Allen offensive rebound	4	2
8:34	Kristaps Porzingis blocks Jarrett Allen 's 3-foot two point shot	4	2
8:30	Jrue Holiday defensive rebound	4	2
8:27	Kristaps Porzingis misses 26-foot three point jumper	4	2
8:21	Jaylen Brown offensive rebound	4	2
8:21	Jaylen Brown makes tip shot	4	4
8:16	Jarrett Allen offensive foul	4	4
8:16	Jarrett Allen turnover	4	4
7:56	Jaylen Brown misses two point shot	4	4
7:53	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	4	4
7:36	Kristaps Porzingis blocks Evan Mobley 's 1-foot driving layup	4	4
7:32	Evan Mobley offensive rebound	4	4
7:31	Jayson Tatum blocks Evan Mobley 's 2-foot two point shot	4	4
7:28	Jayson Tatum defensive rebound	4	4
7:23	Jayson Tatum misses 24-foot three point jumper	4	4
7:21	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	4	4
7:14	Donovan Mitchell makes 1-foot driving dunk	6	4
7:13	Cavaliers delay of game violation	6	4
6:55	Kristaps Porzingis misses 33-foot three point jumper	6	4
6:52	Evan Mobley defensive rebound	6	4
6:45	Cavaliers Full timeout	6	4
6:45	Caris LeVert enters the game for Evan Mobley	6	4
6:45	Georges Niang enters the game for Donovan Mitchell	6	4
6:45	Al Horford enters the game for Jayson Tatum	6	4
6:34	Darius Garland misses driving floating jump shot	6	4
6:33	Jarrett Allen offensive rebound	6	4
6:32	Jarrett Allen misses tip shot	6	4
6:31	Jarrett Allen offensive rebound	6	4
6:31	Jarrett Allen misses tip shot	6	4
6:31	Jaylen Brown defensive rebound	6	4
6:31	Jarrett Allen personal foul	6	4
6:15	Jaylen Brown offensive foul	6	4
6:15	Jaylen Brown turnover	6	4
6:03	Darius Garland misses driving floating jump shot	6	4
6:00	Al Horford defensive rebound	6	4
5:50	Jaylen Brown makes driving layup (Kristaps Porzingis assists)	6	6
5:50	Max Strus shooting foul	6	6
5:50	Jaylen Brown makes free throw 1 of 1	6	7
5:36	Jarrett Allen misses 7-foot two point shot	6	7
5:34	Kristaps Porzingis defensive rebound	6	7
5:22	Derrick White misses 25-foot three point jumper	6	7
5:19	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	6	7
5:08	Georges Niang misses 24-foot three point jumper	6	7
5:08	Celtics defensive team rebound	6	7
5:08	Max Strus loose ball foul	6	7
5:08	Ty Jerome enters the game for Max Strus	6	7
4:47	Jarrett Allen blocks Kristaps Porzingis 's 4-foot dunk	6	7
4:43	Ty Jerome defensive rebound	6	7
4:39	Darius Garland misses running pullup jump shot	6	7
4:37	Jrue Holiday defensive rebound	6	7
4:36	Darius Garland personal foul	6	7
4:27	Jaylen Brown makes driving layup	6	9
4:13	Georges Niang misses 23-foot three point jumper	6	9
4:12	Derrick White defensive rebound	6	9
4:09	Jaylen Brown makes two point shot (Derrick White assists)	6	11
4:09	Georges Niang shooting foul	6	11
4:09	Evan Mobley enters the game for Darius Garland	6	11
4:09	Donovan Mitchell enters the game for Jarrett Allen	6	11
4:09	Payton Pritchard enters the game for Jrue Holiday	6	11
4:09	Luke Kornet enters the game for Kristaps Porzingis	6	11
4:09	Jaylen Brown makes free throw 1 of 1	6	12
3:57	Donovan Mitchell makes 15-foot two point shot	8	12
3:42	Payton Pritchard makes 25-foot three point jumper (Luke Kornet assists)	8	15
3:20	Donovan Mitchell makes 27-foot three pointer	11	15
3:07	Al Horford misses 22-foot three point jumper	11	15
3:05	Al Horford offensive rebound	11	15
2:59	Payton Pritchard misses 30-foot three point step back jumpshot	11	15
2:55	Al Horford offensive rebound	11	15
2:52	Derrick White makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jaylen Brown assists)	11	18
2:41	Donovan Mitchell makes 7-foot driving floating jump shot	13	18
2:40	Celtics Full timeout	13	18
2:40	Jayson Tatum enters the game for Jaylen Brown	13	18
2:40	Sam Hauser enters the game for Derrick White	13	18
2:27	Al Horford misses 23-foot three point jumper	13	18
2:20	Payton Pritchard offensive rebound	13	18
2:19	Al Horford misses 24-foot three point jumper	13	18
2:17	Caris LeVert defensive rebound	13	18
2:12	Evan Mobley misses 25-foot three point jumper	13	18
2:10	Al Horford defensive rebound	13	18
1:57	Donovan Mitchell personal foul	13	18
1:57	Jayson Tatum makes free throw 1 of 2	13	19
1:57	Jayson Tatum makes free throw 2 of 2	13	20
1:43	Evan Mobley misses 9-foot two point shot	13	20
1:40	Jayson Tatum defensive rebound	13	20
1:34	Al Horford makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jayson Tatum assists)	13	23
1:21	Caris LeVert bad pass (Luke Kornet steals)	13	23
1:16	Sam Hauser misses running pullup jump shot	13	23
1:16	Cavaliers defensive team rebound	13	23
1:06	Caris LeVert misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	13	23
1:03	Sam Hauser defensive rebound	13	23
54.0	Jayson Tatum misses 25-foot three point step back jumpshot	13	23
50.1	Luke Kornet offensive rebound	13	23
50.1	Al Horford makes layup (Luke Kornet assists)	13	25
41.1	Sam Hauser personal foul	13	25
29.1	Ty Jerome makes 9-foot two point shot (Donovan Mitchell assists)	15	25
10.1	Al Horford makes 22-foot three point jumper (Jayson Tatum assists)	15	28
0.0	Donovan Mitchell misses 29-foot three point pullup jump shot	15	28
0.0	Cavaliers offensive team rebound	15	28
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	15	28

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

Rocket Arena

Cleveland, OH

Date & Time

12:30 AM, February 5, 2025

Coverage

TNT, truTV, HBO Max, NBC Sports BO

Attendance

19,432

Referees

Scott Foster, CJ Washington, Gediminas Petraitis

2025-26 Atlantic Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Boston	39	20	.661	W1
New York	38	22	.633	W1
Toronto	35	25	.583	W1
Philadelphia	33	26	.559	W3
Brooklyn	15	44	.254	L7

2025-26 Central Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Detroit	44	14	.759	W2
Cleveland	37	24	.607	L2
Milwaukee	26	32	.448	L1
Chicago	24	36	.400	L11
Indiana	15	45	.250	L5

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Jayson Tatum scores 22, Celtics hold off Cavaliers 112-105 in matchup of Eastern Conference's best

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