The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Boston Celtics for a primetime matchup on Sunday afternoon in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics controlled the game from start to finish, in fact, outside of the Cavaliers' early 8-point lead. The Celtics would bounce back quickly and take a 26-point lead in the third quarter. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Peyton Pritchard are not going to let the Cavs come from behind to win games. The Celtics would hold on for a 109-98 victory as Cleveland would do everything possible to come back.
The Celtics are now 43-21 in the East, and the Cavs are 39-25, four games back and two games behind the New York Knicks. The C's are now just three games behind the Detroit Pistons, who face the Miami Heat on Sunday.
Brown was the star of the game for the Celtics and had 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the win. Brown is having one of the best seasons in Celtics history, and could be an MVP candidate by the end of the season.
In 27 minutes, Tatum scored 20 points on 6-16 shooting with three rebounds and two assists. The returning superstar scored 12 points in the first quarter and gave himself and the team a lot of confidence heading into that important match. The Celtics are 3-0 against Cleveland this season, and have won the season series, giving them the playoff tiebreaker over the Cavs if they need it.
Tatum hit a dagger triple at the end of the fourth quarter to secure the victory for the Celtics. The Cavs weren't going out quietly, and the Celtics needed to hit a few more shots to stay put.
what goes up 🎯 pic.twitter.com/TNLwVXlUJC
- Boston Celtics (@celtics) 8 March 2026
With JT back, hitting shots like this could get the league in trouble. This Celtics team has been the better team in the Eastern Conference since 2021, and they have more experience than anyone in the East. Paul Pierce thinks his former Celtics will win the East this season with Tatum's return.
"He's back," Pierce said in a sing-song voice while recording Tatum's postgame interview. "The East is in trouble, you better be careful because here we come. Let's figure it out."
Nikola Vucevic's injury is serious, but he will be back before the playoffs start. This Celtics team is very deep for Tatum, and as mentioned above, will benefit from experience.
The Celtics have owned the Cavs all season, and even though Cleveland will be a threat in the playoffs, they have shown no signs of being able to beat Boston in a 7-game series. The Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks are the only two real threats to the Celtics this season. If Boston is able to continue what they have, they could even pass the Pistons in the standings and steal home-court advantage from them. If Detroit loses to Miami on Sunday, the Celtics will remain just 2.5 games behind the East leaders.
This team faces two more big tests on the road next week against the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. If the Celtics manage to win one of those two games, you can consider it a mini road trip win for them. If Boston wins both of those games, their NBA Finals chances will skyrocket. The C's are already the clear favorite to win the East at every sportsbook.
If you remain skeptical of this Celtics team, you may want to think again.
