Jayson Tatum erupts for 54 in star-studded matinee victory

Sunday’s sport might have been a matinee, however the Boston devoted have been handled to a stargazing present.

Going toe-to-toe have been two of the NBA’s greatest offensive gamers in Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant. The Celtics 24-year-old star acquired the higher of his adversary, scoring a season-high 54 factors forward of Durant’s hard-earned 37. The person battle helped the C’s get the 126-120 victory in an exhilarating, back-and-forth affair.

Tatum’s stat line was fairly insane: 54 factors on 16-30 capturing, going 8-15 from deep and 14-17 from the charity stripe. By some means, these career-high 17 makes an attempt didn’t really feel like sufficient, as loads of no-calls left additional factors on the desk for JT.

Past the numbers is the place Tatum actually impressed. The diploma of problem of a few of his makes, together with the madness of his footwork to get these photographs off, stands out. The spectacular capability to sync up his jab steps and step-backs with a increase right into a shot has all the time been noteworthy. What we’re seeing from Tatum currently is an improved really feel for the way he’s guarded on the catch and his blossoming into one of many league’s elite scorers.

Take this play, as an example. Realizing how he’ll be flown at off the display screen, Tatum offers no hesitation in jabbing baseline earlier than hitting his patented step-back.

That stage of forethought as a scorer is what has turned Tatum from All-Star into MVP stage performer. Huge wings like him can create area one-on-one with spins and hard strikes, however to take action rapidly off the catch helps the whole offense move smoother: there are fewer alternatives for double groups or assist as soon as he shakes the preliminary defender.

Tatum was 7-12 from 3 early within the third quarter after two makes in two minutes. The Nets acquired caught with their fingers down and, after these two makes, it was obvious that in the present day was going to be a nuclear sort of effort from Boston’s greatest participant:

Whereas he solely had three assists on the day, his consistency in making the appropriate reads stands out as his sport matures; his kick out of double groups permits different Celtics to let the ball maintain transferring and discover an open teammate. The Celtics get quite a lot of “another” passes to wide-open 3-pointers. Persistently, it’s considered one of Tatum or Brown who assault the guts of the protection and trigger it to break down.

One kick out from there opens up these one-more passes, a part of the rationale the Celtics are top-ten within the NBA in proportion of their catch-and-shoot appears to be like which might be listed as unguarded:

Late when the Celtics wanted buckets, Tatum wasn’t settling for powerful jumpers. He used the actual fact he was en fuego early to his benefit, thriving off hesitation dribbles and altering velocity to get tougher exhibits when coming off a choose. As an alternative of elevating for the jumper, he’d drive previous the stiffer Brooklyn bigs and play balanced close to the rim.

The consequence: layups and free throws.

Then there was the finisher, that one signature play to vault the Celtics forward for good. A little bit of a helter-skelter transition alternative was considerably settled when Tatum caught it on the appropriate wing. Two defenders flew at him and, as a substitute of kicking to search out the open man, he used a slick crossover to interrupt away and levitate in direction of the rim for the powerful two:

Tatum might have scored 54, however he was removed from a one-man present. A powerful return to the lineup from Jaylen Brown (21 factors, together with 3-6 capturing from deep with the dagger within the last minute) helped propel the Celts to stick with the Nets whereas they absorbed Durant’s greatest shot early. Birthday boy Marcus Good completed with 14 factors and 9 assists, Al Horford was his ordinary reliable self because the unsung hero, and Robert Williams completed with 5 blocks.

The C’s are buzzing, and the cohesion on the defensive finish has allowed them to take the following step as a workforce. Brooklyn put forth an unimaginable offensive efficiency. Durant had 37, Kyrie Irving completed with 19 and so they shot 44% from 3 as a workforce. However the C’s made them take (and make) tough photographs. That wore the Nets down late, and Durant and Irving mixed for 10 turnovers on the afternoon.

This Celtics workforce is fairly dang full. Some glass-half-empty people might even see a herculean effort from Tatum as essential to fend off the shorthanded Nets. These optimists will see this efficiency for what it was: a superb displaying from Boston’s famous person whereas everybody else completely and effectively performed their preferrred roles.