Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Cavaliers Game

From a pair of blocks to Jayson Tatum posterizing Jarrett Allen, Boston benefitting from its star's gravity effect, and stingy defense leading to two points above the rim, here are the top five plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Cavaliers game.

Bobby Krivitsky

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
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From a pair of blocks to Jayson Tatum posterizing Jarrett Allen, Boston benefitting from its star's gravity effect, and stingy defense leading to two points above the rim, here are the top five plays from Wednesday's Celtics-Cavaliers game.

Jayson Tatum Denies Kevin Love at the Rim

The Cavaliers cycle through multiple actions, trying to catch the Celtics off guard as Kevin Love slips to the basket. With Marcus Smart focused on denying Darius Garland the ball, Cleveland nearly gets two points at the rim.

But seeing Love cutting to the cup, Jayson Tatum comes to the rescue with a well-timed contest off two feet, blocking Love's dunk attempt while avoiding fouling him.

Celtics' Defense Leads to Two Points from Above the Rim

Perhaps Caris LeVert should've opted for a dribble handoff. With Jaylen Brown tight to Donovan Mitchell, the former knocks away LeVert's pass, which winds up with Derrick White.

White pushes the pace, and Boston has a four-on-two that has to end with a basket. It does, as White goes right at Levert, and Dean Wade's momentum takes him away from a contest he may not have had much interest in carrying out.

White then drops the ball to Tatum behind him, and Tatum takes care of the rest.

Al Horford Cashes in from Grant Williams' Corner Office

The Celtics set screens for Tatum on both sides of his defender, LeVert. Perhaps, a more solid screen from White leads to two points for Tatum at the rim. But with LeVert doing well to stay with his assignment and Jarrett Allen sucking in toward the basket, Tatum gets the lob from Smart and immediately kicks the ball out to an open Al Horford, who buries the shot from the corner.

Tatum Puts Jarrett Allen on a Poster

Capitalizing on a well-designed ATO, Tatum comes from the backcourt, gathers a bounce pass from Smart, and has plenty of space to continue building momentum as he ventures into the paint without worrying about a defender going for the strip. He then posterizes Allen, tying the game with 6.7 seconds to play.

Tatum Swats Mitchell's Step-Back

Brown and Tatum do an excellent job passing Mitchell off to the latter, with the former taking Darius Garland. Mitchell looks Garland's way, but Brown's in the passing lane, and while it eventually opens up, the former Utah Jazz star shifts into looking for his shot, only for his step-back three to get swatted by Tatum, forcing overtime.

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Second Overtime Loss vs. Cavaliers: Boston's Still Struggling to Maintain Focus, Consistency Defensively

[Video] Grant Williams Discusses Everything from Negotiations with Celtics to Mental Health and Signing with Jordan Brand in Interview with Shams Charania

Now Is Time To Buy Low On Malcom Brogdon's 6th Man Of Year Betting Odds

After Firing Steve Nash, Nets Plan to Hire Ime Udoka as Head Coach

[Film Room] Malcolm Brogdon's Fitting in Seamlessly with Celtics, but What's More Exciting is on the Horizon

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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