CLEVELAND — Even when things are bad, they can be good.
It's a lesson the Cavaliers are learning, and teaching their fans, with the latest example coming in a 93-90 loss to visiting Boston on Tuesday.
You know the story, as the Cavs finished the previous meeting against the Celtics with a 12-0 run and game-winning shot from rookie Kyrie Irving. That happened Sunday in Boston.
But there were no miracles Tuesday in Cleveland.
The Cavs got themselves in another big hole, trailing by 22 points late in the third quarter. Irving couldn't get it going and only Anderson Varejao appeared to be playing with any real passion or pride.
Then came the fourth quarter, when Irving again sprung to life by scoring 13 of his team-high 21, Varejao played like his usual self, and the Cavs as a whole picked it up on D.
When Irving hit a driving left-handed layup around Celtics forward Kevin Garnett with 1:18 left in the game, the Cavs trailed just 89-87.
That was as close as they would get — but it was their unwillingness to admit defeat that had their coach offering praise afterward.
"Obviously not the outcome I wanted, but the one thing I told our guys is they played so hard, it was just great to see," Cavs coach Byron Scott said. "I told them I was very proud of the way they played."
It's true that the Celtics were without All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo for a seventh-straight game, but they had won four of the first six. So they're no slouches without him — not with veteran men such as Garnett (13 points), Paul Pierce (20) and Ray Allen (13) also on the team.
The Cavs, meanwhile, were without their top two shooting guards. Starter Anthony Parker is still struggling with back issues, and backup Daniel Gibson was released from a Boston hospital Tuesday with a mysterious infection in his neck.
Neither of those two are stars, but both know the system, know their roles and provide leadership and defense.
Instead, the Cavs were forced to use Mychel Thompson, an undrafted rookie who spent the lockout portion of the season with Erie of the D-League.
He got his first start Tuesday, and all he had to do was guard the star of the Spike Lee joint known as "He Got Game." That would be none other than Allen, who just happens to have made more 3-pointers than anyone who's ever played in the NBA.
On the bright side, Thompson swore he wasn't nervous beforehand, pointing out that basketball is a game he's played his entire life. Anyone who saw the young man shoot and defend with confidence in 30 minutes of action had to believe him.
But clearly, this night belonged mostly to Varejao and his outstanding effort of 20 points and 20 rebounds. In most cities, this would be the only story. In Cleveland, as Scott likes to say, it's just Andy being Andy.
"Varejao is just a pain in the butt with his offensive rebounding, the way he knocks down shots and keeps (loose) balls alive," Pierce said. "He's probably one of the more underrated players in the NBA. He's a major factor out there."
So the Cavs will take this split with the Celtics — a veteran club that still has its key big three from the 2008 team that won a championship.
They can build on it and grow and see how they can apply what worked to their future. And that really is what this season is all about.
"Going forward, we need to sustain that energy we had in the fourth quarter," Irving said. "We have to keep our energy up for the full 48 minutes."
Follow Sam Amico on Twitter @SamAmicoFSO
