It was a special occasion all around Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse when the conference juggernaut Celtics came into town. The Cavaliers sitting in the 3rd position in the Eastern Conference were expecting the exact test that would assess their championship mettle.
The heavyweight clash was also anticipated for an emotionally charged evening when two of Cleveland’s favorite sons came to visit. The home team were thoroughly reminded that they better not mess this up and they did not in one of the most astonishing NBA games in recent memory.
Cavs honor Jason Kelce with bobblehead
There was something special in the air during the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. Apart from the nail-biting game, the backdrop was filled with emotions stemming from the presence of two very special Cavs fans. The NFL star brothers Jason and Travis Kelce were attending the game for the bobblehead giveaway, and the Cavs arranged to honor the duo.
The Kelce brothers, being passionate Cavalier fans, came in the franchise’s jerseys and were honored with mini versions of themselves, their bobbleheads, in the same statement jerseys.
The Kansas City Chiefs TE looked happy with the figurine and thanked the creators for making his mini version look good. His bobblehead has a basketball spinning on his finger, which is something that Travis admits he cannot do. The elder Kelce said, “In person, I look way better than expected” and it eventually got approval from both of them.
Jason recently announced that he will be hanging his boots after thirteen seasons of his NFL career. To pay tribute to the veteran, the Cavaliers gifted him a customized framed jersey with his number 62 and the fans rose from their seats to give him a standing ovation. They were also presented with a dazzling basketball with Cleveland’s initials on it and a luchador mask, a subtle callback to Jason Kelce’s post-Super Bowl 58 antics.
Cavs outlast Celtics in thriller contest
The Boston Celtics were dominating in the usual fashion in the first three quarters against the Cavs but it’s not over until it’s over in a basketball game. The Celtics were 22 points ahead of the hosts but in a jiffy, the game turned within the fourth quarter after Dean Wade’s tremendous 23-point flurry, consisting of 8 rebounds and 1 assist in 21 minutes of the game.
The Cavaliers ultimately overturned the deficit to win 105-104. The table-topping Celtics were unbeaten in eleven consecutive games, however, they were obstructed in their winning streak by the third-seeded team in the Eastern Conference table.
The Celtics were leading by 16 points before entering the fourth quarter but in the final quarter, they scored only 17 points to the Cavs 34. While the Celtics went 0/8 from deep, the Cavaliers went 5/5 from 3-pointers and 7/7 from the field.
Boston star Jaylen Brown blamed the team’s relaxed mentality during the final quarter after leading by 22 points. “We gave up offensive rebounds, stuff that all just comes with mindset,” Brown added.
Despite missing key players like Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus (knee issues) and losing Evan Mobley to injury, the Cleveland Cavaliers managed to pull off a win in front of their special guests. The victory was a well-deserved reward for their efforts.
