Cavaliers rally, can’t catch Celts

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

For a team that just snapped a five-game losing streak, the Boston Celtics weren’t doing much celebrating following Tuesday night’s 86-83 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ray Allen scored 22 points and Kevin Garnett added 18 as Boston, which couldn’t hold a 16-point lead in the first quarter, avoided its first six-game skid since dropping seven in a row from April 4-15, 2007. The Celtics’ big lead became a five-point deficit in the third quarter, making the last 12 minutes a possession-by-possession game until Boston finally made enough plays to pull it out.

“Hopefully, this was just a little All-Star hangover,” Paul Pierce said. “We’re making it hard on ourselves.”

Kyrie Irving returned from a bruised elbow that sidelined him late in the second quarter and led Cleveland with 24 points, 19 in the second half.

Irving hit two free throws with 1:21 remaining to give Cleveland an 81-80 lead. After Allen missed a 3-pointer, Garnett tipped Irving’s pass, leading to Allen’s dunk with 48.6 seconds left that put Boston ahead for good.

“I got my hand on it and I got the ball to Ray for a layup,” Garnett said. “Nothing special about it.”

Irving said it was simply a good defensive play by the Celtics.

“I wasn’t careless,” Irving said. “They anticipated it and they stole the ball. Nothing big.”

Irving drove down the lane and missed a layup with 27 seconds remaining. Garnett missed on Boston’s next possession, but grabbed his own rebound and was fouled by Antawn Jamison with 3.9 seconds to go. Garnett made both shots and the Cavaliers called a timeout trailing 84-81.

Irving was fouled before he could get off a 3-point attempt and made both free throws with 3.5 seconds left. Allen hit two foul shots with 2.4 seconds remaining, and Anthony Parker’s 3-pointer at the buzzer hit the front rim.

The Celtics lead the Cavaliers by 21/2 games for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Boston lost its final five games before the All-Star break, the last three by 15 or more points.