Watch: An outstanding first half by Donovan Mitchell keeps the Cavaliers alive in Game 3 vs. Celtics

The Boston Celtics closed out the first half of Game 3 with a nine-point lead, 57-48, but the Cleveland Cavaliers' deficit could have been much steeper if not for Donovan Mitchell's incredible first half.

Mitchell put the Cavaliers on his back through the first two quarters, posting 23 points (8-of-12). He was deadly from beyond the arc, hitting 6-of-8 attempts from three-point range.

The Cavaliers' only problem in the first half was that Mitchell was essentially playing alone against the top-seeded Celtics. The only other Cleveland player to finish in double figures heading into the break was forward Evan Mobley, with 11 points. The rest of the team shot a brutal 9-of-32 from the field for only 14 points.

Meanwhile, the trio of Jayson Tatum (18 points), Jrue Holiday (15 points) and Jaylen Brown (13 points) have carried the Celtics. However, the rest of Boston's roster has yet to contribute, with fellow starters center Al Horford (two points) and guard Devin White (one point) combining for just three points on 1-of-8 shooting. They've also received only eight bench points, six coming from forward Sam Hauser.