CELTICS END CAVS' UNBEATEN START

NBA champions win 'test' between East giants 120-117 by showing 'play-off force'

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LOS ANGELES - Jayson Tatum scored 33 points as the Boston Celtics' "play-off force and physicality" ended the Cleveland Cavaliers' 15-game unbeaten start to the season with a hard-fought 120-117 victory in the NBA Cup on Nov 19.

The Celtics unleashed a barrage of 22 three-pointers to overwhelm Cleveland, who clawed their way back to within two points of the lead late in the game after trailing by 21 early in the second half.

Despite the Cleveland fightback, reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) champions Boston held their nerve and kept the scoreboard ticking over to close out a deserved win. Tatum's tally included six three-pointers, while the Boston star added 12 rebounds and seven assists in an all-round Celtics effort that saw six players finish in double figures.

Tatum said Boston's championship pedigree had helped the Celtics over the line as Cleveland threatened late in the game.

"We've played a lot of basketball, we've played in the biggest games," he said. "NBA is a bunch of talented teams - guys are gonna make plays, they're gonna make shots. I say it all the time - how you respond shows your growth and how special your team is."

He admitted that ending the Eastern Conference leaders' unbeaten record had motivated the Celtics.