Jayson Tatum discovered himself large open within the paint, took a feed from Marcus Smart and didn’t hesitate to ship a late Christmas Day stocking stuffer on Giannis Antetekounmpo’s head.
Tatum’s one-handed poster slam on the Bucks star despatched TD Garden into delirium, however the Celtics star didn’t react. No flex, no emotion, Tatum put his head down and went straight again to protection.
He’s bought larger targets this season.
In a highly-anticipated Christmas Day showdown in opposition to one other MVP candidate, Tatum got here on prime once more. The Celtics star poured in 41 factors – which included a monster 20-point third – and fully outperformed Antetokounmpo because the C’s recovered their offensive efficiency and cemented themselves atop the Eastern Conference with a dominant 139-118 victory over the Bucks.
“They bring out the best in us,” Tatum mentioned.
The Celtics had been due for this sort of efficiency, and it got here on the good time. After their first slide of the season, by which they misplaced 5 of six and all of the sudden appeared mortal, the Celtics bought again on observe on Friday, utilizing a late surge to beat the Timberwolves. But they knew they needed to carry their greatest Sunday, or the Bucks would “embarrass” them, as Al Horford put it.
They responded with one among their greatest all-around efforts of the season. They shot 58.8 % from the ground, together with 19-for-39 from 3-point vary as their exterior taking pictures struggles lastly got here to a halt. Their 139 factors was one shy of a season-high, achieved in opposition to a Bucks protection that’s top-of-the-line within the league. The C’s made Antetokounmpo principally ineffective.
Though the Bucks had been lacking All-Star Khris Middleton, the C’s supplied a robust reminder of what they’re able to at full energy.
“We never forgot,” Tatum mentioned. “But it did really feel good to sort of get again to enjoying the way in which we all know how one can play. We have the emotional understanding of, it’s a protracted season, and there’s going to be nice stretches and there’s going to be some dangerous ones.
“It’s just kind of not letting the bad ones snowball effect, and get back on track sooner rather than later. And it helps when we make shots, too.”
The Celtics got here out sturdy, making eight 3s within the first quarter. Sam Hauser banked in a 31-footer on the buzzer. The C’s had been in management virtually totally from begin to end, even when they let some momentum slip within the second. Jaylen Brown was fouled on a 3-pointer and missed all three free throws to finish the primary half because the Celtics held on to a one-point lead.
It didn’t have an effect on them. Tatum took over within the third because the Celtics seized management. He used an array of strikes and photographs, and scored at will. He completed the quarter with 20 factors on 7-for-10 taking pictures and performed your entire interval because the Celtics went up by 14 coming into the fourth.
Even because the cold-shooting Bucks – who completed 11-for-33 from lengthy vary – lastly began hitting some photographs, Tatum and his teammates had each reply.
“it felt good,” Tatum mentioned. “Any time you’re making shots, but just the way we were playing as a whole, not only myself, but (Marcus) Smart was making plays. Grant (Williams), Rob (Williams) both come in there and give us extra possessions, offensive rebounds, (Malcolm) Brogdon, D-White, everybody that came in at the second unit in the third quarter, it just gave us life. From the crowd, we just kind of fed off that.”
They saved it going within the fourth. The Bucks scored 5 factors to begin the interval and appeared poised to make a run, however the Celtics responded once more. Grant Williams hit a 3, Rob Williams flushed an alley-oop, and the Celtics pulled away.
“We played the right way,” Grant Williams mentioned. “We did the whole lot appropriately, we made positive we take full benefit, we performed bodily, we bought open seems to be and we took benefit of these. Then we bought out in transition and performed with tempo after which we did an outstanding job of organising each other for achievement. …
“It’s one of those wins that allows you to get back on track,” he added. “I feel like it’s one of those wins that allows you to understand that was just a little stretch even more, because you weren’t panicked or anything. You were comfortable with moving forward. But having a win like this where you play well, and you can look each other in the eye and feel like you competed to the highest degree against a team as talented as you are, you feel good about it.”
Though a Christmas Day win could not appear to be a lot within the larger image, the Celtics believed it was essential the way in which they confirmed up, particularly after how issues have gone lately. On a giant stage in a marquee matchup, they revealed that that is actually the crew that they’re – and that bodes nicely for a season with championship aspirations.
“I think that’s just a sign that we do have a really good team, in all honesty,” Tatum mentioned. “We’re not perfect, nobody is, and like I said earlier, we’re going to have some bad moments, some tough games, and that’s fine. There’s nothing that you can change about those games, it’s all about how do you respond. It’s something we talk about all the time, how do you respond from half to half or game to game. I think that is a key sign of a really good team, just how do you bounce back, how do you respond moving forward.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com