The Boston Celtics handed their first true check by defeating the beforehand unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers, 120-117, on Tuesday night time, prompting Kendrick Perkins to increase a public apology to Jayson Tatum.
Tatum rose to the event in Boston’s second NBA Cup matchup, almost per week after falling to the lowly Atlanta Hawks, to make sure the Celtics wouldn’t get off to a 0-2 begin in event play. He scored a team-high 33 factors on 50% capturing from the ground, knocked down six 3-pointers, grabbed 12 rebounds and logged seven assists, which cued an “M-V-P” chant from TD Backyard’s crowd within the fourth quarter.
“Jayson Tatum, I apologize as a result of we should always point out your identify extra usually in terms of the three letters of MVP,” Perkins mentioned on ESPN’s “NBA Right now” Wednesday. “We discuss all people else however we don’t discuss this man who continuously night time in and night time out is flirting with 30-point triple-doubles. We take away from him for the straightforward reality of the expertise that’s round him. However the way in which that he’s been taking on video games. We all know that he’s a strolling bucket. We all know that he improved his 3-point capturing… However on prime of that, it’s the rebounding for me. It’s the double-figure rebounds that he’s getting a recreation.”
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Boston allowed Cleveland to rally and reduce down its 21-point result in a skinny two-point cushion within the fourth quarter, on an evening when the Celtics had been getting uncovered defensively. The Cavaliers focused Boston’s Neemias Queta, opening the door for simple lanes to the basket all through the night time and giving Cleveland an avenue to chip away every time the Celtics battled to increase their lead on the opposite finish.
Tatum’s chef’s kiss second got here on the finish of the third quarter when the 26-year-old made Cleveland’s Georges Niang hit the deck with a crossover and knocked down a buzzer-beat three. Boston took a 93-88 lead into the fourth quarter whereas Tatum turned his again and hand-gestured a “get out of right here” response towards Niang.
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“We’ve been in that state of affairs one million occasions the place it’s like, ‘It’s time to win. It’s time to lock in,’” Tatum mentioned postgame. “Guard your yard, assist one another on protection, get a cease, go down on offense and discover out who we’re attempting to assault, the place we have to put guys at and make the suitable play. Like I mentioned, we simply do the straightforward factor very well, actually usually”
Tatum, in serving to enhance the Celtics to a 12-3 report this season, now ranks third in scoring (29.9 factors), first in 30-point video games (with eight) and first in video games with five-plus 3-pointers made (with 9). Throughout the offseason, Tatum did point out an MVP chase can be on the agenda to which Perkins criticized the five-time All-Star for setting a “egocentric” aim. Nicely thus far, Tatum’s had his manner and it’s working.
The Celtics reminded the 15-1 Cavaliers that the reigning champions are nonetheless the crew to beat within the Japanese Convention, and Tatum’s performances warrant extra MVP chants and a official candidacy.
