The Cleveland Cavaliers have taken a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics with a 99-91 victory at the Quicken Loans Arena.

The Celtics fought hard to stay with the Eastern Conference's second seeds early on as they tried to level the series, leaving them just a point behind at half time.

Kyrie Irving and LeBron James inspired a 17-4 run at the start of the third quarter to open up a 14-point advantage for the hosts after struggling to find their rhythm in the first half.

Boston did not let their heads drop, cutting the gap to just two points late on as Isaiah Thomas, who finished the game with 22, added a crucial three-pointer.

James was too strong though, adding 15 points in the fourth quarter to make sure that Cleveland stayed ahead, while Tristan Thompson made a string of rebounds in the final minutes to keep the visitors off the ball.

The sides meet again on Thursday.