The Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-98 in a battle of the Eastern Conference contenders on Sunday afternoon.
Jaylen Brown had 23 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, while Jayson Tatum added 20 in 27 minutes in his second game back from a torn right Achilles.
The Celtics built an 81-55 lead in the third, sweeping their three-game season series with the Cavs.
Payton Pritchard added 18 points, Baylor Schelerman had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Neemias Queta grabbed 11 boards.
On the other hand, Donovan Mitchell dropped 30 points, Evan Mobley had 24 points and eight rebounds for the fourth-place Cavaliers.
James Harden had 19 points and 10 assists, as Cleveland had won a season-high seven straight at home.
The Cavaliers pulled within 94-86 midway through the fourth on Jaylon Tyson’s three-pointer, but Pritchard answered with a three-pointer and tacked on back-to-back hoops to restore the Celtics’ double-digit lead.
Boston earned a 48-29 advantage in the second behind Tatum’s 14 points in his first 12 minutes.
The Celtics went up 56-35 in the period on two free throws from Brown, aided by Cleveland shooting 2 of 22 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Meanwhile, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen did not play after injuring his right knee Tuesday against Detroit, but coach Kenny Atkinson said he was “trending better.” Mitchell saw his first action since straining his right groin on Feb. 24.
For Boston, Nikola Vucevic will be out on their three-game road trip due to a fractured right finger.
Up next: the Celtics visit the Spurs on Tuesday, while the Cavaliers host the 76ers on Monday
