The Boston Celtics secured their place in the Eastern Conference Finals with a decisive 113-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 16, 2024. This win, marked by standout performances from Jayson Tatum and Al Horford, clinched the series for the Celtics in five games.
Tatum contributed significantly with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Horford added 22 points, 15 rebounds, and six of Boston’s 19 three-pointers. Horford’s performance placed him alongside legends like LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as one of the few players aged 37 or older to achieve a 20-point, 15-rebound, and five-assist game in the playoffs.
Despite the absence of key players Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Caris LeVert, the Cavaliers kept the game competitive until the fourth quarter. Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with a playoff career-high 33 points, and Marcus Morris Sr. added 25 points with five three-pointers. However, Boston’s 13-2 run in the fourth quarter sealed their victory.
The Celtics now await the winner of the New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers series for their third consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The game underscored the resilience and character of the Celtics, with Horford expressing pride in the team’s growth and perseverance. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers face an uncertain offseason with potential changes looming for both Donovan Mitchell and coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Match Player Stats
Cleveland Cavaliers:
| PLAYER | MIN | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaac Okoro | 12:27 | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| Dean Wade | 21:33 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -27 |
| Evan Mobley | 43:25 | 15 | 24 | 62.5 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 3 | 5 | 60.0 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 33 | -15 |
| Max Strus | 44:38 | 3 | 10 | 30.0 | 3 | 7 | 42.9 | 3 | 3 | 100 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 12 | -12 |
| Darius Garland | 44:06 | 4 | 17 | 23.5 | 0 | 4 | 0.0 | 3 | 3 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | -16 |
| Marcus Morris Sr. | 33:30 | 10 | 13 | 76.9 | 5 | 6 | 83.3 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | -13 |
| Sam Merrill | 27:44 | 3 | 5 | 60.0 | 3 | 5 | 60.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 4 |
| Tristan Thompson | 4:35 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Georges Niang | 8:02 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Damian Jones | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Caris LeVert | DND – Injury/Illness | |||||||||||||||||||
| Donovan Mitchell | DND – Injury/Illness | |||||||||||||||||||
| TOTALS | 38 | 79 | 48.1 | 13 | 31 | 41.9 | 9 | 12 | 75.0 | 6 | 22 | 28 | 25 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 16 | 98 | -15 |
Boston Celtics:
| PLAYER | MIN | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | 40:44 | 4 | 9 | 44.4 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 14 |
| Jayson Tatum | 43:21 | 9 | 16 | 56.3 | 3 | 7 | 42.9 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 18 |
| Al Horford | 34:58 | 8 | 15 | 53.3 | 6 | 13 | 46.2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 26 |
| Derrick White | 36:08 | 7 | 17 | 41.2 | 4 | 9 | 44.4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 17 |
| Jrue Holiday | 41:22 | 5 | 9 | 55.6 | 1 | 4 | 25.0 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 21 |
| Luke Kornet | 12:14 | 3 | 3 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | -9 |
| Payton Pritchard | 21:17 | 4 | 7 | 57.1 | 3 | 4 | 75.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | -10 |
| Sam Hauser | 9:56 | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | -2 |
| Oshae Brissett | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Svi Mykhailiuk | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Neemias Queta | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Jaden Springer | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Xavier Tillman | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Jordan Walsh | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| TOTALS | 42 | 80 | 52.5 | 19 | 43 | 44.2 | 10 | 12 | 83.3 | 11 | 32 | 43 | 32 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 15 | 113 | 15 | |
