Celtics look to regroup in facing Cavaliers

Coming off their Eastern Conference finals finish a season ago, the Boston Celtics are still looking for a win against one of the league's top-tier teams.

Tuesday night's 117-109 loss at home to the Jazz marked Boston's eighth loss in as many games against the teams with the NBA's top five records (the Jazz, Nets, Suns, Sixers and Lakers).

The Celtics get a reprieve of sorts starting with Wednesday's road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Against Utah, Jayson Tatum finished with 29 points and Jaylen Brown had 28, but the Celtics faded down the stretch against a sharpshooting Jazz squad that made 19 3-pointers.

Donovan Mitchell hit the most crucial triple to put the Jazz ahead 107-101 with 1:04 left. He finished with 21 points.

The Celtics' two losses in their three games since the All-Star break have come against Brooklyn and Utah.

"Obviously those are two really good teams and we feel like we can compete, especially when it comes down to the end," Brown said. "But we've still got a lot of growth to do. I thought we played a good game, but we just needed a little more energy, a little more oomph."

Boston won't be facing any of those top squads over its next four games. None of those opponents -- Cleveland, Sacramento Orlando and Memphis - have more than 17 wins.

The Celtics, who played without center Tristan Thompson on Tuesday due to the NBA's health and safety protocols, need to find the right formula to make another deep playoff push.

"(I'm) less concerned with Brooklyn and Utah and trying to catch them, and more about just trying to be the best version of ourselves," Brown said.

Fueled by Brown's 33 points, Boston led by as many as 41 in a 141-103 win over the Cavaliers in Boston on Jan. 24. In that game, the Celtics shot 55.9 percent, including 14-for-28 from 3-point range.

The Cavaliers will also be playing their second game of a back-to-back Wednesday. Cleveland is coming off a 113-98 loss at Miami -- their fourth consecutive defeat following a four-game winning streak. Before that, the Cavaliers had lost 10 in a row.

Collin Sexton led the Cavaliers with 21 points and JaVale McGee had 16 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes while shooting 8-for-10 from the field.

"I thought his energy was great," Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "I thought he used his size well on both ends of the floor. He was able to catch and finish quickly and put a ton of pressure on the paint. He led the team tonight, and that's the most important thing."

The Cavaliers shot 10-for-35 from 3-point range against the Heat and went 2-for-18 in the first half.

"You can play really good defense, you can find the extra man, you can do all the stuff you're supposed to do," Larry Nance Jr. said. "If we're getting good looks and not making them, that's an issue in itself. We're generating solid looks. Just got to start knocking them down, really."

Cleveland's Kevin Love sat out against Miami with right calf soreness. Love played 10 minutes against New Orleans on Friday and left Sunday's game against the Hawks after less than two minutes. Love has played in only four games this season.

Boston's Romeo Langford remained in health and safety protocols for the third consecutive game.

--Field Level Media