Boston, Mar 7 (BUS): Jason Tatum’s challenge against a Brooklyn squad that featured rarely from both Kevin Durant and Keri Irving: “Take the alpha approach.”
“Be the best player on the field every night,” Celtics coach Im Odoka said he told Tatum before Tatum scored a season-high 54 points to lead Boston to a 126-120 victory over the unfamiliar sound nets. “He takes pride in playing against high-ranking opponents.”
Durant played in his second game since mid-January and scored 37 goals for the Nets, becoming the 23rd player in NBA history to reach 25,000 points, the Associated Press reported.
Joined by Irving for only the fourth time all season, he scored 19 goals in his first game in three weeks and his first in Boston since being tossed with a water bottle during the playoffs last year.
“Those confrontations — when you play one of the best teams in the league, two of the best players — as a competitor, these are the moments you looked forward to as a kid,” Tatum said. “When these opportunities come, you try to make the most of them.”
Tatum scored 34 points in the second half and Jaylene Brown 21 with the Celtics. Brown, who was allowed to return to the Boston lineup after testing an ankle sprain, beat the 24-second 3-pointer to give Boston a 121-115 lead with 40 seconds left.
Durant made the mistake of jumping the next time – he complained that he had made the mistake, and he had no luck. A foul was fouled against Tatum on the next takeover, and as a “best player!” The cheers rang out at TD Garden, and he hit one of two free throws to surpass his previous season’s high of 51.
He added a pair of free throws in the final seconds for the second highest total of his career.
“It was a mess. It was a fun game and five minutes was fun to be a part of,” said Marcus Smart, who scored 14 points and made 9 assists.
The Celtics have won five of their last six games and have won 21 of their last 27 games.
Honor and acceptance
Tatum, who played one season for the Duke before the Celtics ranked him third overall in 2017, said he considered attending the Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski’s home game on Saturday night, losing 94-81 to North Carolina.
But the Celtics’ 1 p.m. start on Sunday made it difficult.
“I definitely wish I could be there, for the last game. It was a fantastic career, 42, all he accomplished at Cameron Indoor, Tatum told a reporter who went to California, with Brown, who also went to Cal, by his side.” from Cal.”
bad returns
Irving was booed by Boston fans still angry that he chose to withdraw from his contract after declaring his love for the city. On his last visit – the Celtics’ first home filled since the pandemic began – a fan threw a water bottle at him as he left the field after winning the playoff.
Irving stomped on the Celtics crest in the middle of the field after that game. On Sunday, former Celtics player Glenn “Big Baby” Davis sat on the field wearing a T-shirt that read “Respect Logo”.
“I know it’s going to be this way for the rest of my next career here,” Irving said. “She’s like a despised girlfriend who wants an explanation as to why I left but I still hope to get a text message. I’m just like, ‘It was fun while it lasted.'”
early on
The Nets scored 11 consecutive points midway through the third game and opened their biggest lead of the game, 90-81, with just over a minute remaining in the quarter. But Boston scored eight goals in a row to cut it to one point, then took the lead on the first basket of the fourth.
The Celtics opened a 108-100 lead in the middle of the fourth. They trailed by one point with 3:29 remaining before losing 13 of the next 17 points – the first six from Tatum and the last five from Brown.
“Tonight this guy on the left was unstoppable,” Brown said, pointing at Tatum. “I think this helps.”
Hint
Nets: Irving missed seven games in a row and didn’t play in the February 8 game against Boston in Brooklyn due to COVID-19 vaccine requirements in New York City. …Durant missed 21 consecutive games before returning Thursday night.
Celtics: Nick Stauskas, eighth in the 2014 draft, signed for Boston over the weekend but did not play. He played in two games for Miami this season and 26 games for Grand Rapids Gold of the J-League. … Strikers Malik Fitts and Keelan Martin have signed their second 10-day contracts. They both played in one game for the Celtics and didn’t leave the bench on Sunday.
next one
Nets: In Charlotte on Tuesday.
Celtics: In Charlotte on Wednesday.