Most of Cleveland’s problems Tuesday came down to the players on the field. Boston attempted 12 more 3s and do 12 more 3s, for one, while the Cavs suffered from some disappointing performances from key pieces. That said, Kenny Atkinson, favorite for Coach of the Year and obviously good at his job, deserves some minor knocks after this game.

Cleveland essentially failed Evan Mobley in the fourth quarter. We can blame others (and we will), but after scoring 22 points in three quarters and dominating the third quarter (which Cleveland won by 12 points), Mobley was held without a shot or a point in the fourth quarter. We can attribute this to the flow of the game, but it is up to Atkinson to force a change in the flow of the game if necessary.

Without Porzingis protecting the rim, Boston didn’t have much of an answer to Mobley’s physicality and strength in the paint. Atkinson should have made it a point to force feed Mobley throughout the sequence. Opting for Georges Niang or Jarrett Allen in the final minutes was another complicated and questionable choice. Niang obviously brings some upside as a knockdown shooter, but Allen’s defense can change the geometry of the court. Niang was cooked at this end of the floor several times too much for my liking.

The Cavs need more Darius Garland in times like these, especially with so many injuries to the supporting cast. We shouldn’t get too excited about a regular-season game in November — Garland has been excellent all season and Cleveland was, again, 15-0 before that — but Garland’s limitations were on full display in Boston.

This is a bad matchup for Garland. The Celtics are equipped with two all-world guard defenders, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, both long and stubbornly physical. Garland looks much stronger and much sharper this season after recovering from a serious jaw injurybut he can still contend with length and brute strength. He is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 192 pounds. There are inherent limitations to this stature in the NBA.

Boston smothered Garland all night. He missed a few open ones, but 3 of 21 from the field isn’t happening just because of an off night. The Celtics forced Garland into tough shots and knocked him out of his rhythm. Credit to Garland for remaining confident and aggressive, but he probably should have cut down on shot attempts late — especially with Mobley being shut out of the offense down the stretch.

On the surface, it was another respectable performance from Donovan Mitchell, who worked his way into the MVP conversation on the strength of Cleveland’s collective. The explosive combo guard scored 35 points, eight rebounds and three assists on 13-of-29 shooting, including 3-of-11 from deep. He only turned it over once and made several clutch buckets throughout the evening.

Mitchell wasn’t bad tonight, so take the “blame” lightly. That said, Mitchell was a bit of a black hole (along with Garland) down the line. This your turn, my turn approach has worked for Cleveland in the past, but it’s tough when neither guard scores with much efficiency from the floor, and Mobley (again, by far the best player Cleveland offensive lineman for three quarters) gets squeezed. consequently, out of contact.

Boston has the personnel to defend Garland and Mitchell at a reasonably high level. The Celtics did not have a good game against Mobley. As Cleveland’s prime mover, some of the burden of connecting with teammates falls on Mitchell. He needs to know better when to hit the turbo button and when to step back, facilitate and make the offense a little more dynamic.