LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points to fuel the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers in a 123-116 come-from-behind statement win over the reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) champion Celtics in Boston on Friday.

The Cavs posted their ninth straight victory, withstanding Boston star Jayson Tatum’s near triple-double of 46 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists.

Darius Garland scored 20 points and Evan Mobley added 17 points and 12 rebounds for Cleveland, which took the lead for the first time on Mobley’s three-pointer with 8:43 left in the fourth quarter.

Boston star Jaylen Brown — who scored 37 points — tied it up at 114-114 with 3:15 remaining, but Mitchell responded with a pair of driving baskets and the Cavaliers held on for a win that pushed their league-best record to 49-10 -- 7.5 games ahead of Boston atop the Eastern Conference.

“It’s a measuring stick,” Mitchell said of the gritty win over the defending champs, who beat Cleveland in the second round of the playoffs last season.

“These guys have won a championship and we want to continue to get to where they’re at.”

Despite the absence of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, Boston burst out of the gate -- roaring to a 25-3 lead in less than six minutes.

Tatum scored 18 points in the opening quarter as the Celtics out-scored the Cavs 38-26.

But Cleveland had already steadied the ship and pulled within two points midway through the second period before Boston pulled away again to lead 74-64 at halftime.

The Celtics pushed their lead to as many as 17 midway through the third quarter, but still the Cavaliers wouldn’t go away.

“The biggest thing is we fought,” Mitchell said. “The biggest thing is just resiliency.”

In Los Angeles, Luka Doncic celebrated his 26th birthday by scoring a game-high 31 points in the Lakers’ 106-102 victory over the LA Clippers.

LeBron James added 28 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who repelled a late challenge from a Clippers team led by Ivica Zubac’s 27 points and 16 rebounds.