NBA: Cavaliers topple Boston Celtics in an all out battle at the top

The day saw colossal performances from Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, James Harden and Nikola Jokic.

Donovan Mitchell vs Payton PritchardSipa USA / Cordon Press

Published by

2 de diciembre, 2024

Topics:

(WITH AFP INFORMATION) With 35 points from Donovan Mitchell, the Cleveland Cavaliers edged out the Boston Celtics 115-111 on Sunday in a showdown between two of the NBA's top regular-season teams. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama delivered a commanding performance to lead the San Antonio Spurs to victory.

In Cleveland, Mitchell scored 20 of his 35 points in a fast-paced final quarter as the Cavaliers capped a comeback to beat the defending champions and avenge their Nov. 19 loss.

That loss ended an unblemished start to the season for the Cavaliers, who won their first 15 games of the season.

Cleveland, however, still leads the Eastern Conference and the overall standings at 18-3, ahead of the Celtics (16-4).

"We wanted to come out and send a message," Mitchell stressed. "They beat us and then we had two losses (to Atlanta) that really hurt us. We weren't playing like ourselves. We needed this win."

The Celtics, meanwhile, were visiting Cleveland riding a seven-game winning streak but with the notable absence of two starters, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.

Forward Jayson Tatum was the top scorer for the green franchise with 33 points, accompanied by reserve Payton Pritchard (24).

Cleveland led 51-49 at halftime, but the Celtics later took a 12-point lead entering the final quarter.

Mitchell responded for the hosts by hitting all six of his field goals in the final quarter, including four 3-pointers, and stringing together 11 consecutive points for the Cavaliers.

In Utah, the Los Angeles Lakers battled to secure a narrow 105-104 victory over the Jazz, fueled by the determination of their star duo.

At 39, LeBron James again dominated with 27 points and 14 assists although he missed all nine of his three-point attempts.

Only his partner Anthony Davis matched his performance, with 33 points and 11 rebounds.

'King James' also became only the second player in history to reach 15,000 shots from the field made in the regular season, second only to another Lakers legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (15,837).

Houston threatens leader OKC

The Western Conference also saw a battle between its top two finishers, with the Houston Rockets winning 119-116 against the leaders, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Texan team, which was out of the playoffs last year, is still on a steep upward climb and is already just 0.5 wins behind the Thunder.

The game was personified by both point guards, with Fred VanVleet scoring 38 points for Houston and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander another 32 for Oklahoma City.

The close of the day saw colossal performances from Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, James Harden and Nikola Jokic.

The young Wembanyama signed his first triple double of the year, and third of his career, in the San Antonio Spurs 127-125 win at the Sacramento Kings.

The center scored 34 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and broke his personal record for assists with 11.

The 20-year-old French phenom completed his stratospheric night with 5 three-pointers and 3 blocks.

Doncic, who had been sidelined for five games with a sprained wrist, reached 36 points and 13 assists in the Dallas Mavericks 137-131 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

In the last game, Los Angeles Clippers beat the Denver Nuggets 126-122 thanks to James Harden, who exploded with 39 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists.

For Denver, Jokic reached a triple double with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.