Short-handed Cavaliers can't knock off Celtics, sent to brink of elimination

CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers played with urgency and intensity. They still couldn't slow down the prolific Boston Celtics in Game 4 Monday, falling 109-102 to give Boston a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Celtics can close the Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday in Boston. The Cavs played without perhaps their two best players in the postseason, guard Donovan Mitchell (strained left calf) and center Jarrett Allen (bruised ribs). Cleveland's season could be over after Game 5, especially with the uncertainty facing their two star players. Mitchell was averaging 35.3 points in his last six games. Facing long odds Monday, the Cavs fought and clawed against the top-seeded team in the East. In the end, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 50 points. Tatum led all scorers with 33 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, while Brown also was a thorn in the Cavs' side with 27 points and eight rebounds. Cavs point guard Darius Garland came alive with his first game with more than 20 points in the series. He paced Cleveland with a team-high 30 points and seven assists. Center Evan Mobley contributed 19 points and nine rebounds, while swingman Caris LeVert added 19 points and five rebounds. Swingman Max Strus had 15 points — all in the first half — before fouling out with 1:24 to play. The rebounding battle once again went in Boston's favor in a big way, 48-32. The team that has won the rebounding war has won every game in the series. Garland's layup gave the Cavs a short-lived 65-64 lead with 9:18 left in the third quarter. They hadn't had the lead since early in the first quarter. Brown had nine of his 24 points in the third, and the Celtics extended their lead to 88-78 heading into the final quarter. Boston's hot shooting continued in the first half, as it shot a torrid .600 from field, including .438 from the 3-point line. That helped Boston hang on to a 62-57 lead at halftime. Cleveland shot .449 from the floor, including .440 from distance, and the rebounding battle was being won by the Celtics, 24-15. Mobley had five points and four rebounds in first half. The fans got riled up in the second quarter when Brown grabbed Strus' foot and tripped him. The fans wanted a technical foul, but officials decided it was nothing more than a common foul. Strus made his first five attempts from behind the arc and paced the Cavs with 15 points in the first half, while LeVert added 12 points and Garland with 11 points and five assists. Tatum continued to wear out the Cavs' defense with a game-high 23 points and five rebounds for Boston. That dominance started in the first quarter, when the All-Star forward fired in 16 points as Boston extended its lead to 37-30. Pressed into action with Mitchell sidelined, LeVert had 10 points and two rebounds for the Cavs. The Celtics outrebounded Cleveland in the first quarter, 13-5. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.