Cavaliers 95, Celtics 90: Kyrie Irving erupted for 40 points as host Cleveland pulled away late to hand Boston its fourth consecutive loss.

Irving finished 16 of 24 from the field while knocking down all seven of his free throws for the Cavaliers, who outscored the Celtics 46-28 in the paint. Tristan Thompson added 21 points and nine rebounds while Alonzo Gee chipped in with 10 points.

Rajon Rondo finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the Celtics, who fell below the .500 mark at the midway point of their season. Kevin Garnett added 16 and Paul Pierce and Jared Sullinger scored 12 apiece.

Cleveland rode Irving's 23 first-half points to a 54-53 lead, but it fell victim to Boston's long-range shooting in the third quarter. Avery Bradley knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give Boston a 64-58 edge, and Courtney Lee added a 23-footer at the buzzer to quell a Cavaliers rally and put the Celtics ahead 73-70 entering the fourth.

The game remained close for the entire final period, with neither team leading by three points until the final moments. Back-to-back Irving baskets put Cleveland ahead 86-83 with 2:04 remaining, and he added two driving layups inside the final minute - the second kicking off a three-point play - after the Celtics used four Garnett free throws to make it a one-point game.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Irving finished just shy of his career high of 41 points established Dec. 15 against New York. ... Irving, Thompson and Luke Walton combined to shoot 19-for-27 in the first half, while the rest of the Cavaliers were a collective 2-for-15. ... Pierce shot just 3-for-15 from the field.