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The Boston Celtics handed the Cleveland Cavaliers their first loss of the season on Tuesday, holding off a spirited comeback to post a thrilling 120-117 victory.

The Cavaliers became just the fourth team in NBA history to start a season 15-0, but a big night from Boston star Jason Tatum left Cleveland leaving TD Garden with a ‘1’ in the loss column.

Tatum finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and two steals in an all-around performance.

The rest of the team shared the scoring load for Boston, with a total of six players reaching double figures: Al Horford had 20 points, Derrick White 19, Jaylen Brown 17, Payton Pritchard 13 and Jrue Holiday 11.

White said after the game that the players felt the added excitement of hosting the only undefeated team in the league, a team that ousted the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season.

“Everyone knew they were undefeated and coming to our building,” he said. “And it’s also an NBA Cup game, and we’ve already lost one game, so it was a really big game in that regard. So we were all aware of it.”

Hot three-point shooting allowed the Celtics to build a 17-point halftime lead, which increased to 21 in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers fought back impressively and quickly closed the gap to two points.

However, it was not enough to upset the defending champions, who held on to win.

“I’m happy with the way we fought back,” Cleveland big man Evan Mobley told ESPN. “That was the most important thing I could be happy about. I feel like we’re not off to a good start. That was the biggest thing that really shot us in the foot, but overall I feel like we played a pretty good game.

“I think it was a good test, and from what I saw there, we could beat anyone.”

Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell finished with 35 points to go with eight rebounds, while Mobley added 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

The result means both teams are 1-1 in the NBA Cup, which concludes with the semifinals and finals in Las Vegas in December.

NBA Cup games also count toward teams’ regular season records.

Russell Westbrook scored a milestone 200th career triple double in the Denver Nuggets’ 122-110 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old is the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles and is now 19 ahead of Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson in second place.

Westbrook finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists, helping fend off a late surge from the Grizzlies.

“It’s a blessing,” Westbrook said of reaching the milestone, per AP. “I’m really grateful that I get to play the game for that. But I am also grateful for those who came before me.

“Every time we win and I get them (triple-doubles), I’m always grateful for that. It’s my favorite time.”

Without three-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokić for a third straight game due to personal reasons, Denver was led by Jamal Murray who finished with 27 points, four rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks.

Michael Porter Jr. added 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Santi Aldama had 28 points to go with 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who are still without the injured Ja Morant.

The Nuggets are now 1-1 in the NBA Cup standings, while the Grizzlies are 0-2.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht tied the NBA rookie record for three-pointers made in a game, sinking nine from behind the arc on his way to a career-high 37 points.

Knecht led the Lakers to a 124-118 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, the team’s sixth straight win and its best run since February 2021, according to AP.

The rookie’s performance this season left superstar LeBron James wondering how Knecht fell to No. 17 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.

“They didn’t ‘find’ DK,” James said of the Lakers’ scouting department, according to ESPN. “The other sixteen teams messed up. Has anyone looked at him? Sh*t. They just didn’t screw up. You don’t ‘find’ an SEC Player of the Year.”

Rodrigue Beaubois (2010), Yogi Ferrell (2017) and Keyonte George (2024) are the other three rookies to hit nine threes in a game.

The Lakers, the defending NBA Cup champions, improve to 2-0, while the Jazz fall to 0-2.

Away team @ home team (winners in bold)

Cleveland Cavaliers 117-120 Boston Celtics

Denver Nuggets 122-110 Memphis Grizzlies

Utah Jazz 118-124 Los Angeles Lakers

Charlotte Hornets 115-116 Brooklyn Nets

New Orleans Pelicans 91-132 Dallas Mavericks

Oklahoma City Thunder 104-110 San Antonio Spurs