Celtics fend off Cavaliers rally, hand Cleveland its 1st loss after 15-0 start

The NBA's perfect team met the reigning champs Tuesday night.

Something had to give. It wasn't the champs.

In the most anticipated matchup of the early NBA season, the Celtics put a halt to Cleveland's perfect start at 15-0 in a 120-117 win over the Cavaliers in Boston. Boston dominated the first half, then held off a second-half rally from the Cavaliers to to secure the win.

The Celtics opened a 65-48 first-half lead, stifling Cleveland's league-best offense and 3-point shooting while hitting 14 of 22 of their own shots from beyond the arc. Boston extended its lead to 79-58 early in the third quarter and appeared on its way to a romp.

But Cleveland answered with a 30-11 run sparked by Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley to cut the Celtics lead to 90-88 late in the third. Then Jayson Tatum finished the quarter with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to extend the Celtics lead back to five points.

Cleveland kept pressure on throughout the fourth quarter and repeatedly cut the Boston lead to two points. But the Celtics answered every time and never allowed the Cavs to take the lead.

It was strong showing and a statement from the Celtics that they remain the league's preeminent force. The icing on the Celtics cake? The game was part of the NBA Cup and prevented an 0-2 start in group play after Boston lost its Cup opener to the Hawks last week.

For the Cavaliers, a historic streak comes to an end. Cleveland's 15-0 start stands tied with the 1993-94 Houston Rockets and 1948-49 Washington Capitols for the second-best start in NBA history. Golden State's 24-0 start in 2015-16 remains comfortably as the all-time best start.

Now at 15-1, the Cavs can move on to the second phase of their season. The unexpected chase for history is no more, and the additional pressure that comes with each game is lifted.

And there's no shame in losing to Celtics in Boston. They're not the first quality team to fall victim to a 3-point barrage by these Celtics on their home court.

The next test for the Cavs is how they respond to the reset. Their perfect start was backed up by advanced analytics that suggest that the 15-0 record was no fluke and that this Cleveland team is a legitimate title contender.

But the championship path runs through Boston until another team proves otherwise. The Cavaliers have four games against the Pelicans, Raptors and Hawks before they get their next shot at the Celtics at home on Dec. 1.