BOSTON (AP) — Al Horford wanted to savor the moment.
When play stopped and the Celtics' victory was no longer in doubt, Horford turned to the sideline, took a few steps, stopped, and reached over his head to raise his hand over the already raucous TD Garden crowd. Everyone stood and applauded.
Task completed.
Jayson Tatum had 25 points and 10 rebounds and Boston defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 on Wednesday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight year.
Horford had 22 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, and made six of Boston's 19 3-pointers, helping the Celtics win their third straight game and close out the series at five games.
“We had a great opportunity domestically to address this issue, but we knew it was going to take a lot more time than it normally would.” Horford joins LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the NBA. He said he became the only player over 37 in history to record 20 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game. “It's special. It's difficult. … This is another positive step towards the goal we want to reach.”
The Celtics will await the winner of the matchup between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. New York leads that series with his 3-2 lead.
This will be Jaylen Brown's sixth appearance in the Conference Finals and Tatum's fifth. Tatum said that's a sign of a strong team culture.
“It just shows the character of the team, the organization. People might take it for granted that we're here,” Tatum said. “We're all in this together. … We're doing the right thing.
The Cavaliers played extremely poorly without All-Star Donovan Mitchell (calf), center Jarrett Allen (ribs), and key reserve Caris LeVert (knee).
Cleveland stayed close through the first three quarters and pulled within 88-85 early in the fourth. Boston then went on a 13-2 run to take a 101-87 lead with 6:44 left.
Evan Mobley had 33 points and seven rebounds, both playoff career highs. Marcus Morris Sr. made five 3-pointers and scored 25 points.
“I'm proud of their effort,” Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff said. “This year was a difficult year for us for various reasons. They couldn't find time to come to terms with each other. All they did was find a way to compete.”
Cleveland is now entering a summer of uncertainty, with the futures of Mitchell and Bickerstaff squarely in the spotlight.
Mitchell gave his all for the Cavs in his second postseason stint in Cleveland. He averaged 29.6 points but did not play in the final two games.
The end of Mitchell's tenure in Cleveland could end at the same TD Garden Arena where James played his final game with the Cavs before heading to Miami in 2010.
Mitchell is eligible to sign a contract extension, but has shown no desire to remain in Cleveland or leave.
Bickerstaff is completing his fourth full season as Cleveland's coach. Including the 11 games he coached since taking over as head coach John Beilein during the 2019-20 season, Bickerstaff is 170-159 with two playoff appearances.
Asked if he thought he would coach in Cleveland next season, Bickerstaff said, “Nobody's saying I won't. So I'm going to keep showing up until they tell me not to.”
Similar to Game 4 without Mitchell, the Cavs used the 3-point line to keep pace with the Celtics, making 8 of 19 in the first 24 minutes.
Cleveland started the second quarter by making 4 of 5 attempts from beyond the arc to take a 46-40 lead. Morris also got some solid minutes off the bench for the Cavs, scoring 14 points in the first 12 minutes.
But Boston rallied and closed with an 18-6 run to take a 58-52 lead into halftime.
“This forces us to answer the bell,” Celtics manager Joe Mazzula said. “Protect your garden. Everyone did it. Credit to them.”
Horford said he was most proud of how Tatum and Brown improved after last season's loss to Miami in the conference finals.
“I'm so proud of the way our guys keep working. JT, JB, how much they keep getting better. No matter what is thrown at them, they're going to get criticized.” Horford said. “Our employees continue to work and continue to think about what is best for our group.”
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