By Tiffany Williams –
After two preseason games on the road, the Celtics finally brought the show home Sunday night — and they didn’t disappoint. In front of a packed TD Garden crowd, Boston tore through a short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers team, rolling to a 138-107 win that felt more like a statement than a tune-up.
From the opening tip, Boston looked locked in. The Celtics stormed out to a 33-17 first-quarter lead, then followed it up with a 37-point second quarter that buried Cleveland before halftime. They never took their foot off the gas, scoring at least 32 points in every quarter and shooting 52.4% from the field and 40% from three.
Anfernee Simons led the way with 21 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including a blistering 6-of-9 from deep. His confident stroke kept the Celtics’ offense humming, and he looked like a player already in midseason form. Derrick White and Josh Minott each added 16 points, with Minott making the most noise on both ends of the court.
Minott’s athleticism popped off the floor. Late in the third, he picked off a lazy pass, sprinted downcourt, and punctuated the play with a windmill dunk that sent the Garden crowd into a frenzy. It wasn’t his only highlight — earlier he threw down another thunderous fast-break slam. The 22-year-old forward continues to show flashes of being a dynamic two-way piece. He grabbed six rebounds, dished two assists, and played with a relentless motor that had Boston fans buzzing.
Jaylen Brown had a quieter night on the scoring sheet — eight points — but he did everything else, tallying six assists, five rebounds, three steals, and a block in 21 minutes. His playmaking and defensive energy set the tone early.
Payton Pritchard lit the fuse in the first quarter, pouring in 12 of Boston’s first 16 points. His hot hand built an early double-digit lead that Cleveland never recovered from. The Cavaliers, missing several rotation players, looked out of sync and shot a miserable 4-for-20 in the first quarter, including 1-for-12 from three.
Boston’s offense was balanced and unselfish. Every possession seemed to end with a quality look, whether it was a Simons three, a backdoor cut from Hugo Gonzalez, or a lob finish by Neemias Queta. Chris Boucher knocked down a pair of corner threes late in the second quarter to push the lead to 24, and by halftime, the Celtics had 70 points on 62% shooting.
The Cavaliers never got closer than 20 the rest of the way. Wendell Moore Jr. and Chaney Johnson tried to spark life into Cleveland’s bench unit with a couple of highlight dunks, but Boston kept the energy high and the ball moving.
Beyond the scoring, Boston’s offensive structure stood out. The Celtics used their spacing to dismantle Cleveland’s defense, forcing the Cavs to overextend to the perimeter. With Cleveland scrambling to cover shooters, Boston repeatedly punished them with cuts and drives to the rim. It was a masterclass in modern offensive geometry — stretch the defense with threes, then attack the seams.
Minott’s performance was more than just flashy dunks. He showed improved feel, cutting decisively, attacking the glass, and finding teammates on the move. His growing comfort in the system suggests he could become a legitimate rotation factor once the real games start.
Rookie Hugo Gonzalez showed why Boston’s coaches are high on his defensive instincts, swatting multiple shots — including a chase-down block that drew cheers from the bench — and knocking down a corner three. Baylor Scheierman had a mixed night, finishing with six assists and six rebounds but struggling with turnovers and cold shooting.
This was preseason basketball, but the Celtics played with regular-season sharpness. They looked deeper, faster, and more connected than they have in early October in years.
For a team with championship expectations, that’s exactly what you want to see — not just highlights, but habits. The Celtics are building both.