CLEVELAND – The full scope of the Celtics’ objective became obvious as soon as word came roughly an hour before tipoff that a calf injury would keep Cavaliers dynamo Donovan Mitchell from playing in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Win the game, first and foremost. Of course, no duh, that’s all that matters in the moment.
The Celtics checked that box marked “victory” with a 109-102 decision Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. They hold a 3-1 lead as the series heads back to TD Garden on Wednesday. They’re right where they should be.