The Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-98 on Sunday, with Jayson Tatum scoring 20 points in his second game after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while the Celtics' defense held Cleveland to just 10 points in the second quarter. The win improves Boston's record since Tatum's return to 2-0 and highlights their strong defensive performance this season.
The Boston Celtics secured a 109-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 8, 2026, in Cleveland, sweeping their three-game season series. Jayson Tatum, returning from a ruptured right Achilles tendon sustained in last season's playoffs, contributed 20 points, three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes, shooting 6 of 16 from the field and 2 of 9 from three-point range. He started strongly with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first quarter, helping Boston build a 35-26 lead, but then missed seven straight shots before scoring six points in the fourth quarter, including a layup and a three-pointer that helped maintain the advantage.
Jaylen Brown was Boston's top performer with 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Payton Pritchard added 18 points, Baylor Scheierman recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Neemias Queta grabbed 11 rebounds. The Celtics extended their lead to 26 points after a dominant second quarter where Cleveland scored only 10 points on 4-of-25 field goal shooting and missed all 14 three-point attempts, leading to a 56-36 halftime score.
For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points in his first game back from a right groin strain, Evan Mobley had 24 points and eight rebounds, and James Harden tallied 19 points and 10 assists. Cleveland, which had won seven straight home games and was 22-9 since December 29, narrowed the gap to 94-86 in the fourth on a Jaylon Tyson three-pointer, but Pritchard responded with a three and two more baskets.
Center Jarrett Allen missed the game due to a right knee injury but was reported as trending better by coach Kenny Atkinson. Boston will be without center Nikola Vucevic for at least a month following surgery on his fractured right ring finger.
The win marked Boston's 19th game this season holding opponents to 100 points or fewer, an NBA-leading figure. The Celtics have allowed a league-low 106.9 points per game and rank second in offensive rating at 114.5 points per game. Since January 30, they are 14-3, yielding 98.0 points per game in that span.
Tatum expressed satisfaction post-game: "I think we did a good job... I'm just happy to be out here, playing on the team with the guys, competing. Making plays, making mistakes. Just happy to be out here." Boston, who went 41-21 without Tatum, now sits within three games of East-leading Detroit and faces road games against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday and Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.