Cavs rally from 22 down, win critical last-second challenge to stun Celtics,

The Cleveland Cavaliers cooled off the scorching Boston Celtics in stunning fashion Tuesday.

Sparked by backup Dean Wade, the Cavs rallied from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit then saw a last-second foul of Jayson Tatum overturned to beat the Celtics, 105-104, snapping Boston’s 11-game win streak.

The Cavaliers trailed, 93-71 with 9 minutes left, then reeled off a 34-11 run to close the fourth quarter capped by a Wade dunk with 19 seconds remaining. With Boston leading 104-103 in the game’s final 30 seconds, Darius Garland drove to the basket for a contested layup. He missed, but Wade was there for the putback to give the Cavs the lead and send the Cleveland crowd into a frenzy.

For a moment, Tatum appeared to play spoiler on the other end. The Celtics All-Star pulled up for a fadeaway jumpshot in the game’s final seconds. He missed, but a whistle blew with 0.7 seconds left on the clock. Officials ruled that Garland fouled Tatum on the shot, which would have put the 82.9% free-throw shooter on the line with a chance to win the game.

Garland barely touched Tatum after the ball was released. He then collided with Tatum’s leg as Tatum fell to the floor. The Cavs didn’t like the call, and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff used his challenge. Garland’s collision with Tatum’s leg proved crucial in the outcome of the game.

Upon review, officials determined that that there was no foul on the pivotal play. Official Zachary Zarba announced that “the leg kick by the right leg of Tatum was deemed to make contact with Garland, where otherwise contact would not have have happened. Therefore the ruling on the floor is overturned.”

Officials didn’t call an offensive foul on Tatum, so the Celtics and Cavaliers jumped it up at center court with 0.7 seconds remaining. The Celtics won the tip, but there wasn’t enough time on the clock to call a timeout. The game was over, and the Cavs escaped with a stunner on their home court.

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With the win, the Cavaliers improved to 40-21 to move within half a game of the second-place Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings. The first-place Celtics dropped to 48-13, but remain in full control of the conference, 7.5 games ahead of the Bucks. If that was a second-round playoff preview, we’re in for a thriller.

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