It’s been said that the Boston Celtics’ recent success is due to playing against unworthy and below-average opponents. However, Boston put that theory to rest this past weekend.
The Celtics started their weekend by defeating the third-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and superstar point guard Ja Morant – the hottest player in the league right now – 120-107.
The Boston Celtics defeated the Grizzlies and the Nets on the back of Jayson Tatum holding his own against some of the NBA’s finest
Jayson Tatum went shot-for-shot with Morant and finished with 37 points to Morant’s 38. It was an all-around elite performance by two superstar players under the age of 25 years old.
This win was impressive for the Celtics on many accounts. However, the most impressive part of it was coming out victorious without one of their best players, Jaylen Brown, who was sidelined with an ankle injury.
But in reality, it wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that the Celtics put the critics to rest, as they defeated a loaded Brooklyn Nets team at TD Garden. Both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving played in this one but it wasn’t enough to stop a surging Tatum and an elite defense that Boston deploys.
Once again, Tatum went toe-to-toe with a legitimate Hall of Fame superstar and held his own in doing so. Tatum racked up 54 points, 17 more than Durant’s 37. Jaylen Brown returned from his ankle injury to produce 21 points alongside his running mate in Tatum.
Together, Tatum and Brown combined for 75 of Boston’s 126 points. That’s just under 60 percent of the Celtics’ total points scored in this game. It’s fair to say that if Tatum and Brown can combine for at least 50 points, it’s going to be extremely difficult to defeat the Celtics.
It took a complete team effort in this game, despite Tatum reaching at least 50 points for the fourth time in his career – tying Larry Bird for the most all-time in franchise history.
Although Tatum finished with 54 points on a 16-30 shooting day, it was Brown who sealed the game for the Boston Celtics. In the clip below, watch Brown put away the game for the C’s.
COLD. BLOODED. @FCHWPO 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1OlAiAChVm
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 6, 2022
You see Brown drive into the lane and acknowledge he was triple-teamed. He kicked it out to Marcus Smart who found Tatum at the top of the key. Tatum then entered a triple-team, forcing him to pass back to Smart, who found Brown standing alone in the corner for an uncontested three-pointer after faking out the ensuing defender. This all went down in the final minute with the shot clock winding down.
This play was one of the best we’ve seen from the Celtics this season because t had everything we’ve wanted to see all year – team involvement, ball movement, and making the right play at the right time. They hung with the Nets throughout the entire afternoon and were then able to close out the game with a victory.
The Boston Celtics have displayed maturity and growth as a team as the regular season comes to a close. They’ve been able to find their rhythm as a unit nearing the playoffs and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Boston’s recent surge of wins has them up to fifth in the Eastern Conference, just half a game behind the Chicago Bulls for fourth in the East.
Not only are the Celtics poised, but they’re also extremely stable in their foundation, making them one of the most dangerous teams to go up against right now – both in a single game as the regular season nears its end, or in a seven-game series in the playoffs.