In the top duel in the east between the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, both teams offered a real offensive spectacle. All eyes were on Durant and Tatum, the latter leading the Celts to victory with a monster performance.
Boston Celtics (39:27) – Brooklyn Nets (32:33) 126:120 (BOXSCORE)
It was a duel between two equal scoring machines that traded heavyweight boxer-style layups, midrange jumpers and long-range shots – with the better ending for Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics.
The Celts have won four of their last five games, most recently a win against the Grizzlies that saw Jayson Tatum put on a 37-point performance on his 24th birthday. “He’s become a vocal leader in the cabin, he’s a bucket on the court. He can score 30 points in his sleep,” said Celtics head coach Ime Udoka ESPNs NBA Today.
Against the Nets, a direct East competitor in the fight for home advantage in the playoffs, he went one better – and how: Tatum set a season best with 54 points (16/30 FG, 8/15 3FG) and delivered himself gripping scoring duel with Kevin Durant. With 37 points, he was the best scorer for the guests and showed no rust in his second game after a long injury break (21 games).
Jaylen Brown returned to the Celts’ starting lineup after missing the last game with an ankle injury. Brown was a reliable scoring partner for Tatum with 21 points, with all five Celtics starters scoring in double figures. Daniel Theis had 3 points, a rebound and an assist in 10 minutes.
With the Nets, Kyrie Irving was unsurprisingly booed when announcing the starters, even though he was on the ball on offense throughout the game, it rained boos in the TD Garden. When a behind-the-back pass from Irving landed out on the Nets’ first possession, a loud, gloating cheer rang out through the hall. In the end, the Nets playmaker had 19 points (8/18 FG) and 6 assists.
The first quarter offered exactly what you want as a neutral NBA fan: an open exchange of blows between two top teams. Boston and Brooklyn both threw 50 percent from the field and looked good on offense. Together, both teams sank 7 of 12 three-pointers, with the hosts all five starters bringing points on the scoreboard, led by Tatum (9).
Durant had two fouls after the first five minutes, but Nets coach Steve Nash trusted his superstar and left him on the court. It proved to be the right decision: KD ended the quarter with 12 points. The Nets were just ahead after the first 12 minutes (34:29).
Jayson Tatum revs up in the second half
At the start of the second quarter, the Celts went full throttle and rattled off a fast 8-0 run, forcing Nash to call a time-out after just a minute and a half. The TV microphones caught the coach’s words: “It’s our first game together, we’re not going to win nicely. We have to win the little fights, rebounds, be there physically, talk to each other.” Due to Irving’s home suspension, Durant’s injuries and newcomers like Dragic or Drummond, the Nets have not really settled in and are trying to develop some team chemistry before the start of the playoffs.
More mechanisms could be seen in the Celtics, recognizable for example by the better coordination on the defensive. Tatum slowly caught fire during this phase, sinking three triples and keeping the Celtics in the game. In one sequence, the Celtics star defended Durant and delivered a strong throwing contest, on the other hand, he showed off his ball handling skills, dribbled around Irving and landed a soft floater in the basket. Boston went into the break at -2 (58:60).
In the third quarter, Tatum picked up where he left off before half-time tea. The forward took over the game and gave the Nets another 16 points in the section, including a classic heatcheck three-pointer to Irving’s face. But with the guests, Durant always provided the right answer and also received support from Bruce Brown (10 points, 4/5 FG). As a result, the Nets continued to lead before the start of the final quarter (90-89).
Boston then ramped up the intensity on the defensive, forcing multiple turnovers, two from Kyrie and one from Dragic. Tatum was unstoppable in attack, even in the final section. The hosts were ahead 110:108 with about six minutes to go. Brooklyn hit back with a 9-0 run and took the lead again.
But Tatum’s will to win was just too strong, he scored six points in a row – and even when he was doubled by the Nets, he distributed the ball and got his teammates free throws. This was also the case with Jaylen Brown’s Dagger, who scored 121:115 with a three-pointer just under 39 seconds before the end and thus made the decision.
It’s the fourth 50-point game of the 24-year-old’s career, which puts him on par with Celtics legend Larry Bird. Durant also reached a milestone, becoming the 23rd player in NBA history to break 25,000 points.
