Celtics 103, Cavaliers 100
Jordan Crawford and Jeff Green had 19 points apiece and Boston used a late defensive stand to fend off visiting Cleveland and halt a three-game losing streak.
With the Cavaliers down two with the shot clock turned off, Dion Waiters looked for the game-tying jumper with 8.9 seconds left but was stuffed by Brandon Bass. The Celtics grabbed the rebound, Avery Bradley made one of two free throws and the Cavaliers failed to get off a potential tying 3-pointer before the buzzer.
Bradley added 18 points while Bass had 15 as Boston evened its home record at 8-8. Kyrie Irving's 32 points paced Cleveland, which has lost 13 of its 15 road games so far this season.
The teams played a tight opening quarter before the Celtics took charge. Boston connected on four straight shots - the last a 3-pointer by Courtney Lee - to extend its lead to 12, and curtailed a Cleveland rally with a quarter-closing 15-6 run highlighted by Crawford and Bradley 3s to carry a 59-44 edge into the break.
The lead grew to 22 on Crawford's 3-pointer off Green's feed with 9:04 left in the third quarter, and Crawford hit from long range following Waiters' dunk inside 2 1/2 minutes remaining to send Boston into the fourth with an 85-66 advantage. Cleveland roared back in the fourth - getting 11 straight points from Irving and Waiters followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from Jarrett Jack to close to within four - and forced a pair of shot clock violations in the final minute to make things interesting.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cavaliers C Andrew Bynum has been suspended indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team." Bynum, who missed all of last season due to major knee problems, averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 24 games after signing a two-year deal with Cleveland in July. ... All 10 Celtics who played had at least one assist. Boston finished with 22 helpers after coming into the game ranked last in the NBA at 18.6 per contest. ... Irving has scored 30 or more points in five of his last nine games.