Despite being underestimated, the Cleveland Cavaliers surprisingly “gifted” the Boston Celtics a heavy defeat right on their home court, leveling the Eastern Conference NBA Playoffs 2024 semifinal series.

It wasn’t until the 8th game of the NBA Playoffs 2024 that the Cleveland Cavaliers secured their first away victory. However, this win carried immense significance as Donovan Mitchell and his teammates unexpectedly “blow-out” the Boston Celtics with a score of 118-94, defeating the top-ranked NBA team right at the TD Garden.

This result helped the Cavaliers level the Eastern Conference semifinal series at 1-1, heading into Game 3 and Game 4 at home with a significant advantage.

After losing Game 1, the Cleveland Cavaliers shocked Game 2 with a big victory over the Celtics right in Boston, leveling the series score 1-1.

This victory was considered surprising because the Boston Celtics are known for their strong performance at the TD Garden. In addition to the home advantage, Jaylen Brown along with Jayson Tatum and their teammates were highly regarded.

Even experts hadn’t seen the Cavaliers as worthy opponents of the Celtics, especially after their heavy defeat in Game 1. However, the narrative completely shifted in Game 2.

The Boston collective lost their touch from long range unbelievably, shooting only 22.9% (8-35 3PT), while Cleveland did the opposite with a remarkable 46.5% success rate (13-28 3PT) from beyond the arc.

Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 5 successful 3-pointers (5-7 3PT) all match.

The Boston Celtics started the game better, surging ahead by 9 points early in the first half. However, the Cavaliers quickly responded with an 11-0 run to tie the game before the end of the first 12 minutes with a lead of 30-24.

But Cleveland’s high-flying offense unexpectedly cooled off in the second half, allowing the Celtics to get back into the game. Al Horford and Jayson Tatum led the home team’s 19-3 run, leveling the score at 54-54 just before halftime.

In contrast to the first half, the second half of Game 2 became dominated by Donovan Mitchell’s performance. While he only had 6 points (2-6 FG) in the first two quarters, he exploded for 16 points (3-4 3PT) in the third quarter alone.

Mitchell’s stellar play ignited the spirits of the entire Cavaliers team. They played cohesively, with multiple individuals contributing on the scoring end, extending their lead to as much as 27 points midway through the final quarter.

Donovan Mitchell concluded Game 2 with an impressive stat line of 29 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds, shooting 5-7 from beyond the arc. Darius Garland also showcased excellent three-point shooting, with an 80% success rate (4-5 3PT), contributing 14 points.

Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert each added 21 points for the Cavaliers, keeping the visiting team competitive against the Celtics before Mitchell’s second-half explosion.

The entire Cavaliers team shot efficiently, posting a field goal percentage of 54.7% and a three-point percentage of 46.4%, both significantly above the playoff average in the NBA.

Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists on a 7-17 shooting performance from the field. Jaylen Brown also went 7-17 from the field, tallying 19 points, but he struggled from beyond the arc, going 0-6 on three-point attempts.

Even Boston Celtics’ three-point specialist Derrick White had a rough day, scoring only 10 points with a 1-8 shooting performance from beyond the arc.