Cleveland opened its preseason with a 124-113 loss to Boston, a result that leaves the Cavaliers' actual record untouched at 0-0. It is far from the first time the Celtics have shown up at a turning point in this franchise's story.
Is this really the first time Boston has mattered to Cavs history?
Not close. Boston beat Cleveland's 1976 'Miracle at Richfield' team in the Eastern Conference Finals, right after Austin Carr and company won a Game 7 thriller over Washington. The Celtics were also on the other side of the trade that sent Kyrie Irving away for Isaiah Thomas, and the team that snapped the Cavaliers' 15-0 start in November 2024. This preseason loss just adds to the list.
What was the actual Irving trade, and did it blow up the roster?
Cleveland sent Kyrie Irving to Boston for Isaiah Thomas, breaking up the Big Three core that had just run off three straight Finals trips. It didn't end the run right away: Cleveland reached a fourth straight Finals against Golden State the following season, before LeBron James left for the Lakers that summer.
When did Boston actually cost the Cavs something real?
November 2024. Cleveland opened that season 15-0, tying the franchise's second-best start ever, a run that pulled the whole league's attention toward Rocket Arena. Boston is the team that ended it. It's the clearest recent proof that this matchup doesn't wait for the playoffs to matter, and preseason apparently included.
Does any of this history connect to Cleveland's thin draft-pick cupboard right now?
Yes, through the rule book. The NBA bars teams from trading away consecutive future first-round picks because Ted Stepien gutted this franchise's draft board in the early 1980s and ran it to a 66-180 record. Cleveland's own first-rounders are tied up in swaps through 2029 and its seconds are owed to Chicago, Utah and Atlanta, but the rule his mismanagement created keeps that from going further.
So does last night's loss mean anything heading into the real season?
Not for the record. The result doesn't touch Cleveland's actual mark, which stays 0-0 until the regular-season opener at Philadelphia on October 22. Preseason games exist for minutes, rotations and first looks, not history — Boston just happened to be standing on the other side of the floor again.
What was the score of the Cavaliers' preseason opener against Boston?
Boston won 124-113 on October 8. Jaylon Tyson led Cleveland with 14 points, and Tristan Enaruna added 13 off the bench.
When did the Celtics end the Cavaliers' 15-0 start?
November 2024, snapping a run that had tied Cleveland's second-best start in franchise history.
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Postgame · Thu, Oct 8Cavs Fall to Celtics 124-113: What the Preseason Opener Actually Showed
From the archives · Tue, Oct 6From the Archives: What Cavs History Says About This Roster's Chances
From the archives · Wed, Sep 30The Stepien Rule Still Shapes This Cavs Roster