In a dramatic turn of events, the Boston Celtics squandered a commanding 22-point lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers, ultimately falling 123-116. The turning point came when Jaylen Brown was called for a loose ball foul, earning him his fourth personal foul early in the third quarter. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla made the strategic decision to bench Brown, preventing him from fouling out, but this move disrupted the Celtics’ offensive rhythm, which had seen Brown score 8 points in the quarter.

With Brown sidelined, the Cavaliers capitalized, scoring on three consecutive possessions and outscoring Boston by 17 points in the second half. Despite a stellar performance from Brown, who finished with 37 points and Jayson Tatum’s near triple-double of 46 points, the Celtics were unable to recover from the momentum shift. Brown criticized the foul call, attributing part of the game's outcome to Garland's alleged flopping.