4 takeaways as Celtics lose to Cavaliers after disastrous 4th quarter

Tuesday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, the Celtics lost 105-104 to the Cavaliers after blowing a 22-point lead in the fourth

quarter. This ended their 11-game winning run.

Boston’s 11-0 run halfway through the first quarter gave them the impression that they were in charge of the game, and they used their

defense to keep the Cavaliers out of the game for the first thirty-six minutes. Due to knee injuries, Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus

were unable to participate in the game, and Evan Mobley had to leave in the third quarter due to a sprained left ankle. Midway

through the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers responded with a 23-4 run that ended the Celtics’ lead. Dean Wade’s game-winning putback

slam put them ahead for good.With 26 points and 13 rebounds,

Jayson Tatum led four different Celtics to double digits in scoring.

After missing just one game, Kristaps Porzingis added 24 points as well. In the victory, Dean Wade scored a game-high 23 points for

the Cavaliers.Four things can be learned from the Celtics’ Tuesday night setback.

Jayson Tatum plays flawless first half but delivers second half dud

Even if the All-Star isn’t truly being considered for MVP this season, he looked unstoppable early on on Tuesday night. With just nine

shot attempts, including seven of nine from the field and five of six from three-point range, Tatum exploded for 22 points and eight

points in the first half. Many of his shots were pull-up threes, which the Cavaliers’ big men were unable to successfully block following

perimeter switches. Tatum was able to step up and help the visitors take a double-digit lead in the first half on a night when Boston’s

offense was having trouble from the floor. But in the second half, he was a complete bust, going just 1-of-10 from the field after

halftime, which allowed the Cavs to rally.

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