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Celtics Rise To Victory: 7 Takeaways From Win Over Cavaliers

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The Celtics won 117-113 against the Cavaliers on Wednesday night thanks to big performances from Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.

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Jayson Tatum scored 41 points on 13-for-21 shooting, including four three-pointers and 11-for-14 from the free-throw line.

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Darius Garland’s flurry of three-pointers kept the game just competitive enough to justify leaving Tatum on the floor.

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Tatum passed Giannis Antetokounmpo for seventh all-time in points scored before a player turns 25.

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Reporters questioned Tatum and coach Mazzulla about Tatum’s minutes, which have been a concern this season due to his high usage last year.

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Tatum said he understands and respects sports science but loves playing too much to sit out.

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Mazzulla changed Tatum’s substitution patterns, giving him three stints off the floor instead of two, and Tatum played only 35 minutes.

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Al Horford shot 8-for-10 from the field and 6-for-8 from behind the arc in one of his best games of the season.

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Horford is taking more triples than ever before this season, with 65 percent of his shots coming from behind the arc.

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Robert Williams had a good game with 11 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes and felt like he was starting to get his conditioning back.

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The Celtics won a crucial coach’s challenge in the fourth quarter with 4:40 left on the clock when Marcus Smart was whistled for a foul.

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Grant Williams received a DNP-CD on Wednesday due to matchups and was replaced by Mike Muscala, who shot 0-for-3 from the field.

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Mazzulla said Williams’s lack of time on the floor was due to matchups on the offensive end and having rim protection.

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Williams’s teammates generally treat him like a little brother, but they were sympathetic towards him on Wednesday.

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Tatum said he wasn’t discouraged or worried because he hadn’t shot the ball well coming out of the break and just came to the game with a mindset to win.

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Mazzulla said Horford was constantly trying to find small ways to reinvent his game and that he was a huge asset to the team.

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Horford said he felt pretty good after his second or third three-pointer and tried to take advantage of the opportunities.