Jayson Tatum scored 22 points, Derrick White added 20 and the Boston Celtics showed their championship makeup down the stretch with a 112-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night in a matchup of the Eastern Conference's top teams.

Tatum and Jaylen Brown played the entire second half as Boston fought back against a feisty Philadelphia squad that shot 46.9 percent from 3-point range without three usual starters including Joel Embiid and Paul George. Ultimately, Boston’s hot shooting and improved defensive intensity turned the game around after Mazzulla’s halftime speech.

The defending NBA champions executed in the final minutes and held off the Cavs, who lost for just the fourth time in 28 home games