The Boston Celtics took care of business on Monday in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 109-102 win. Boston, who has the top seed in the East, now owns a commanding 3-1 lead. The Cavs tried valiantly to protect home court and even up the series, but the Celtics were simply too much down the stretch.
The duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics, with Tatum dropping 33 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists. Brown contributed 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Boston was also helped by 11 points from Payton Pritchard off the bench.
Ahead of tipoff, the Cavs learned that they would be without their best player Donovan Mitchell. He was ruled out with a calf injury, and as Cleveland's leading scorer, he was just too valuable to replace on short notice. Darius Garland contributed 30 points, and Caris LeVert, who was inserted into the starting lineup, added 19, though he went 1-for-8 from 3-point range.
Prior to Monday's win, the Celtics bounced back from a Game 2 blowout loss with a road win in Game 3 as Brown and Tatum combined for 61 points on Saturday night. Now, following the win, the Celtics are in prime position to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 5 will happen on Wednesday.
Cavaliers vs. Celtics: Game 4 score
Celtics 109, Cavaliers 102 (BOS leads series 3-1)
CBS Sports provided live updates, highlights and analysis from Game 4. Follow along below.
Here are some key takeaways from the game:
Tatum and Brown deliver again
Jayson Tatum's performance in Game 3 was the major storyline because he finally had a big scoring night this postseason with 33 points, but the Celtics would not have won that game without an efficient shooting from Jaylen Brown, who shot 13-of-17 from the field that night.
On Monday night, the Celtics used the same formula. Tatum led the way with 33 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for his 12th career 30/10/5 game in the playoffs -- eighth most in NBA history -- and Brown had his back with 27 points on 9-of-15.
This was the 15th time that they have both scored at least 25 points in a playoff game. When those two both have their offense going, the Celtics are extremely difficult to beat, and that is even more true this season with their improved supporting cast.
Holiday comes to play
Jrue Holiday has a title to his name, but he hasn't always been the most consistent playoff performer. The best version of Holiday was in action on Monday, however, as he made an impact in every aspect of the game and showed exactly why the Celtics were eager to acquire him in the offseason.
He finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block, hit four 3-pointers and shot 6-of-11 from the field. In the second half, his defensive pressure at the point of attack was a key factor as the Celtics created some much-needed separation.
"He's starting to be more aggressive on the offensive," Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. "When he's aggressive, both him, Derrick, and our bench we're a different team."
Including the playoffs, the Celtics are now 22-1 when Holiday scores at least 15 points.
Cavaliers don't have enough without Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell has been carrying the Cavaliers on offense throughout the playoffs. Prior to Game 4, he had scored over 30% of their total points, and was the only healthy player on the team averaging more than 15 per game. When he was ruled out with a calf strain, everyone expected the Cavaliers would lose because they would not be able to keep up with the Celtics' high-powered offense.
While that wasn't the case in the first half, when they caught fire from downtown and made 11 3-pointers, it eventually proved to be true down the stretch. They managed just 45 points on 45 shots in the second half, and were 4-of-23 from behind the arc. Even though the Celtics didn't shoot the ball well either after the break, the Cavaliers were unable to make them pay.
It's unclear if Mitchell, or Jarrett Allen, will be available for Game 5 on Wednesday. If not, it's going to be even more difficult for the Cavaliers to hang around on the road, where their role players will likely not play as well as they did in Cleveland.
