MITCHELL LEADS CAVALIERS TO 'STATEMENT' WIN

Star guard takes over in fourth quarter to down Celtics, keep Cleveland top in East

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NEW YORK - Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers avenged a heartbreaking loss with a 115-111 victory over the Boston Celtics on Dec 1 in a match-up of the top National Basketball Association (NBA) teams.

Mitchell scored 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs rallied from 14 points down in the second half to defeat the reigning NBA champions.

The Cavaliers started the season 15-0 but suffered their first loss in Boston in November by 120-117 and dropped their two previous games, both to the Atlanta Hawks, before staging a fightback home triumph.

"For us, we've got to go out there and make a statement," Mitchell said.

"They beat us in the NBA Cup. No excuse. We've got to go out there and try to build. We had two losses that really hurt. We weren't playing like ourselves. We needed this win."

The Cavs improved to 18-3 to stay atop the Eastern Conference, while the Celtics fell to 16-4 as Cleveland snapped Boston's seven-game winning streak.

"You've got to trust your work and what we've been working on since training camp," Mitchell said.

"That's the biggest thing. That's what you saw tonight and that's what it's going to continue to be."