The display of 50 points Jayson Tatum It is one of those that will later be remembered in the compilations of the best moments of his professional career. The good news for the Boston Celtics the thing is they have a superstar for a while. At 23, the forward has done nothing more than begin to discover the greatness within him. At least that dictates the intuition his game conveys.
The hatching in the second half of Boston’s benchmark allowed the green franchise to qualify for the NBA Playoffs, where they will face the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. The Celtics’ explosive 113-94 win punished some Fine little Washington Wizards in decision making and in the definition of shooting. The Capitolines will now see them for the eighth place of the Eastern Conference against Indiana Pacers, who beat the Charlotte Hornets with force and clarity.
Tatum’s great game was forged in a raging and blazing third quarter. The Saint Louis kid scored a memorable 23-point period to turn the tables on a clash in which the Wizards were aiming for manners despite their poor numbers. To rest, the visitors won 52-54, but in the blink of an eye they saw how Kemba walker (29 points) unclogged the perimeter local with three starting triples and Tatum took over permanently.
With a partial of 17-2 (38-26 at the end of the quarter), the Celtics were able to open a gap and breathe relief thanks to the recital of their star, who shone more than ever before the prospect of a failed season, cornered by the novelty of the play-in. Rather than being dwarfed, the 20-year-old overcame the challenge in a big way.
Boston entered the playoff access tournament with Lots of doubts after a very irregular regular season (36-36). Beyond the dire record for a conference finalist team in three of the last four courses, the real problem was posed by the indefinite leave during the last week of competition of Jaylen brown, operated on the left wrist.
Without his second in command, Tatum shot epic and knew how to add Walker to the mix to pull the bandwagon of the historic franchise. Not Mr. Triple-Double, a Russell Westbrook who left in a pissed off into the locker room with the game still on the line, he was able to do nothing to prevent Washington’s collapse.
No answer found some Wizards with foul problems throughout the game. Tatum did what he wanted when he wanted: 50 points (14-32 TC; 5-12 3P; 17-17 TL), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and 2 blocks in 41 minutes of game. In the second half, the forward accumulated 32 of his 50 total points.
Scott Brooks did not drive any two-on-one or tried to move a chip against a tatum defended by Bradley Beal, who came to the game with discomfort and could not do anything to stop the opponent. The escort did comply in attack with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, an effort dwarfed by the brilliance of his rival in one-on-one.
Precipitation was always present in Washington’s game, which started with seven losses and four misses from the line of three. The visiting team never recovered the good percentages and finished with 15 losses and a poor 3 of 21 on triples. The ball did not even stop Davis bertans, a 40% accuracy shooter who stayed in a 0 of 7.
Desperate Westbrook threw several stones and gave it all the way he likes it. His everything was useless and rather harmed the team, which was left without several of its usual assists in the face of a poor shooting selection: 20 points (6-18 TC; 0-4 3P), 14 rebounds, 5 basket passes and 4 losses were his harvest.
Boston breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the Marcus Smart recovery after a scare with the ankle, but the phantom of the injuries attacked the team again with a fortuitous clash between Tatum and the pivot
Robert Williams III before the break. The interior did not play again for a minute after a foot injury worsened.
Beyond some flash of Ish smith, who tried to lift with 17 points from the bench to the Wizards, the serious game of the Celtics imposed the logic and pedigree of the franchise above the bad omens and the bad luck of the last weeks.
Celtics are playoffs, and the Wizards will have to rebuild in the next 48 hours if they want to be, too.