A red-hot Dean Wade and some video replay helped the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers overcome a 22-point, fourth-quarter deficit and beat the visiting Boston Celtics 105-104 on Tuesday night. Wade erupted off the bench to score 23 points- 20 in the final quarter, including a putback dunk of a Darius Garland miss with 19.1 seconds left, which proved the game-winner. The victory snapped Boston’s league-best 11-game winning streak and came on a night that was billed as “Kelce Night” at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, with the famous NFL brothers Travis and Jason Kelce in attendance, wearing Cavs jerseys and cheering on Wade.
The Celtics led 58-47 through three quarters and appeared on their way to another decisive victory without the injured Donovan Mitchell. However, over the final nine minutes of the fourth quarter, the Cavs caught fire from the field and went 10-for-10, erasing the deficit and giving the home team a much-needed win.
Boston’s defensive prowess held up well during that frantic period, but poor shot selection and missed free throws helped the Cavaliers take advantage. Cleveland’s big men also played a massive role in the comeback, with Tristan Thompson scoring 10 points and pulling eight rebounds.
After a sluggish start to the season, the Cavs’ offense has clicked into high gear over the past month. The team is averaging an NBA-best 10.4 points per game in the last five contests and has posted four consecutive 50-plus point efforts, with a plus-10 differential during that stretch.
Despite the loss, the Celtics remain atop the Eastern Conference standings by a wide margin. They have won 13 of their last 16 games and are 15-3 at home this season.
The loss was a painful reminder that even the most dominant teams sometimes struggle. The Celtics are prone to letting complacency creep in when they are on a roll, and the fourth-quarter collapse against the Cavaliers was just the latest example. It’s a lesson the Celtics should learn quickly before it is too late. The C’s can still overtake Cleveland for first place in the division, but it will require a more consistent effort from a team that has shown signs of cracking in recent weeks.