Jaylen Brown scored 33 points in 19 minutes, Kemba Walker added a season-high 21 points and the Boston Celtics crushed the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 141-103 on Sunday night.
Carsen Edwards scored 18 points, Daniel Theis added 17 and Marcus Smart had 12 with five steals as the Celtics snapped a three-game losing streak. Tristan Thompson had a game-high 12 rebounds.
Collin Sexton had 13 points to lead the Cavaliers, whose three-game winning streak came to an end. Cleveland turned the ball over 17 times, Sexton responsible for six.
The Cavaliers shot 34-of-85 (40 percent) from the field compared to Boston’s 52-of-93 (55.9 percent).
Related: If you’re a fan of the Celtics, check out #Celtics rumors, rankings, and news here.
Brown shot 13-of-20 from the field. He became the first player in NBA history to finish a game with as much as 33 points in less than 20 minutes, according to Basketball Reference.
The Celtics blew out the gate to a 15-5 lead less than four minutes in. A 10-0 run helped them to a 25-10 advantage, and they finished the first up 38-21 — their highest-scoring opening quarter of the season.
Boston’s lead reached 20, 43-23, with 11:05 left in the second, and the team kept Cleveland back by no less than 15 the rest of the period. A Javonte Green tip-in at the buzzer had the hosts up 73-51 at the break.
Brown (13), Walker (13) and Smart (12) each scored in double figures during the half. Andre Drummond paced the Cavaliers with 11.
Related: If you’re a fan of the Cavaliers, check out #Cavs rumors, rankings, and news here
Boston remained in control in the third, its margin surpassing 30 during the course of a 15-0 run midway through the quarter. The Celtics led 101-62 on a Walker three-pointer with 5:20 left, and Theis followed with a pair of free throws to push the lead beyond 40.
Brown scored 20 in the third before coach Brad Stevens pulled his starters with 2:13 remaining. Boston entered the fourth up 114-78.
The Celtics played their fifth straight game without star forward Jayson Tatum, who is expected to return from his two-week absence with COVID-19 against the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
–Field Level Media