It wasn’t about the Cavaliers’ perfect season or their 15-game winning streak, or even the NBA Cup. It was about testing themselves against the defending champions.
“This was a good test for us, and unfortunately, we didn’t get the win,” said Donovan Mitchell, who scored 35 points but couldn’t stop the Cavs from losing 120-117 to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
“It’s definitely a good way to measure where we’re at,” Mitchell added. “But we’re not going to be the same team in April.”
The Celtics, who won their 18th championship last spring, entered the season as favorites to make it back to the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers, who had only just made it past the first round of the playoffs last year, weren’t expected to compete at that level.
But this season, Cleveland shocked everyone by going on a 15-game winning streak, becoming the last undefeated team in the league. Coach Kenny Atkinson also made history as the first NBA coach to win his first 15 games with a new team.
“You want to be part of history, but it’s in the past now,” Mitchell said. “It was fun while it lasted. Winning games, playing good basketball, no matter if it’s a blowout or a comeback – those moments are special.”
But as Mitchell pointed out, “There’s no championships in November.”
On Tuesday night, the Celtics used a three-point shooting spree to jump out to a 21-point lead. The Cavs fought back, cutting the lead to just two in the third quarter. But despite a late push, including a big three-pointer from Mitchell with 25 seconds left, Cleveland couldn’t close the gap. Boston held on for the win.
Mitchell had a scary moment late in the game when Celtics star Jayson Tatum knocked him over while going for a steal. Mitchell stayed down for a bit, worried he might have a concussion. After watching the play again, he didn’t think it should’ve been called a flagrant foul.
“I was just hoping I didn’t have a concussion,” Mitchell said. “It was a play on the ball. He’s got bony shoulders. It is what it is.”
Coach Atkinson wasn’t happy with how his team started the game, especially with Boston hitting 14 three-pointers in the first half. But he was proud of how they fought back, almost erasing a 17-point deficit in the third quarter.
“They shot the lights out in that big second quarter. We couldn’t overcome that,” Atkinson said. “But we turned it up in the second half. Just a little too late.”
Looking ahead, Atkinson is focused on their next chance to face the Celtics when they meet again in Cleveland on December 1.
“We gave them a good fight in the second half, but we’ve still got a lot to improve on,” he said. “We’ll have another shot at them soon.”
