For some Cleveland Cavaliers fans, excitement has waned over the last few years since LeBron James' decision to leave the Cavs for a second time in 2018.
But there's a glimmer of hope early this season with excitement returning to Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Saturday night, in front of just under 20,000 loud fans, the Cavs were able to steal another win from the Boston Celtics. Their ninth win of the season has positioned the Cavs as an early fourth seed in the East.
Game summary
The Cavs and Celtics both came out of the tunnel cold. The Cavaliers were able to shoot just 15% from the field off 3-20 shooting in the first quarter.
After scoring just nine points in the first, it was obvious the offense needed to do more against this team.
It was a much better second quarter, thanks to Darius Garland's 18 first-half points, bringing the Cavs closer by halftime. But they were still down 14, 52-38 Celtics.
The Cavs came out with a sense of urgency from halftime, but a strong performance by the Celtics' Dennis Schroder continued to stifle their comeback.
Along with Schroder's strong play, Robert Williams Jr. had a 12-point, 12 rebound double-double by the end of the third.
While the Celtics had control for the majority of the game, the fourth quarter was a different story.
Cedi Osman provided a quick spark off the bench after draining two threes. With contributions from role players like Denzel Valentine and Ricky Rubio both offensively and defensively, the Cavs were able to take a one-point lead halfway through the fourth.
The game remained tight as the fourth quarter wound down. The biggest contribution came from the big men. Evan Mobley dominated the interior of the Celtics defense this quarter.
With under ten seconds and the game tied at 89, Garland drained two free-throws to put the Cavs in the lead.
The Cavs barely squeezed by the Boston Celtics 91-89. The two teams play again Monday night at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
