CLEVELAND: It has all the makings of a rivalry, even though Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said he doesn’t see it.
Kelly Olynyk dislocating Kevin Love’s shoulder, J.R. Smith’s shot to Jae Crowder’s face that left the latter with a sprained knee, the Cavs’ sweep of the Celtics in the first round of last season’s playoffs, the Cavs’ heartbreaking one-point loss to the Celtics on Feb. 5.
Of late, their meetings always seem to have drama, intensity, physicality and a sense of urgency.
That was no different Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena. And that’s not only because Amir Johnson elbowed Timofey Mozgov in the throat with 9:14 left in the third quarter, sending Mozgov to the floor and drawing a flagrant-1 foul.
The Cavs exacted their revenge, rallying from an 18-point, first-quarter deficit to pull out a 120-103 victory. The outcome snapped the Celtics’ five-game winning streak and extended the Cavs’ winning streak to three.
The loss dropped the third-place Celtics 7½ games behind the Eastern Conference-leading Cavs. The Cavs also claimed the season series 2-1.
LeBron James recorded his 21st double-double of the season with 28 points and 11 rebounds along with eight assists, while Kyrie Irving contributed 20 points. Tristan Thompson scored 12 points and Iman Shumpert added 12 points and 16 rebounds.
Shumpert regained his touch, hitting 4-of-8 field goals. He was 2-of-4 from beyond the arc after going 1-of-11 on 3-pointers in the previous four games. That poor string came after he sat out three games with a left shoulder sprain.
Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with 27 points, and former Ohio State star Jared Sullinger added 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens knew the Cavs were probably angry after falling 104-103 at home to the Celtics last month when Avery Bradley hit a game-winning 3-pointer as time expired.
“Let’s be honest — we were really lucky to win here last time,” Stevens said before the game. “We were down four with nine seconds left and you’re not going to find yourself on the good side of that very often.”
When it was suggested the sting of that loss might be more of a factor in college than the NBA, Stevens said, “I don’t know if it’s a college thing or it’s a pro thing, but I remember every loss vividly, including Scrabble with my family.
“These guys are big-time competitors. They’ve got one of the great winners of all time on their team and a guy that’s been in five straight championships, and a team that was in the championship round last year and swept through the East with no problem at all. Of course, they’re competitive for a reason and they win a lot for a reason.”
The Celtics built their big first-quarter lead by hitting 60 percent from the field and 71.4 percent (5-of-7) from 3-point range. But the Cavs came storming back in the second quarter as Irving pumped in eight points, Shumpert seven and Thompson six in the quarter. The Cavs made headway even as James sat out the first six minutes before returning with 5:41 left in the quarter and the Cavs trailing 45-41.
The Cavs took their first lead since the opening basket on Shumpert’s two free throws with 1:01 left in the half for a 55-53 edge.
Shumpert had hit perhaps the biggest basket of the half 53 seconds before, draining a 3-pointer from the corner that tied the game.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.