The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers starred in one of the most exciting games of the young season.
Kenny Atkinson’s team arrived at the T.D. Garden with an undefeated record after 15 games.
The home side, however, would end up prevailing and handing them their first loss of the season.
Notably, the Cavaliers could’ve lost way more than just a game.
Cavs star Donovan Mitchell took a big blow to the face, and even he thought he could’ve suffered a concussion.
Jayson Tatum committed a hard foul on Mitchell late in the game.
He was going for a steal, crashed into him, and knocked him on the floor.
Mitchell was bleeding, yet the referees decided not to review the foul for a possible flagrant.
When asked about that, Mitchell admitted that he thought it was much worse at first, dismissing the narrative of it being a dirty play by Tatum (via Celtics on CLNS):
“I was just praying to god I didn’t have a concussion,” said Mitchell. “(It was a) play on the ball, he’s got bony shoulders, hit his shoulder. It is what it is.”
Donovan Mitchell on Jayson Tatum's HARD FOUL:
"I was just praying to god I didn't have a concussion … play on the ball, he's got bony shoulders, hit his shoulder. It is what it is."
📺 Full Interview: https://t.co/7IJcwPD4EL
⚡️by @PrizePicks & @GameTime #Celtics #NBA #Cavs https://t.co/ZRqjrbscrT pic.twitter.com/mCDJ8sMkXi— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) November 20, 2024
Tatum is not known to be a dirty player; he had no intention of hurting Mitchell; it was merely a basketball play.
Mitchell led the game with 35 points on 13 of 29 from the floor, adding eight rebounds and three assists.
It was still an encouraging performance despite the loss.
The Celtics are the reigning champions and are very strong at home, so dropping a game by just three points after winning the first 15 of the season proves that this hot start wasn’t a fluke.
As for Mitchell, he and the Cavaliers may have dodged a big bullet there.
NEXT: Kenny Atkinson Reveals His Thoughts About Cavs' Loss To Celtics
