Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and had nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics
to a 139-96 win over the short-handed Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.
Jaylen Brown added 26 points as both of Boston’s stars knocked down seven 3-
pointers in a game the Celtics never trailed and led by as many as 49 points. Boston
dominated on both ends of the floor, shooting 60% through three quarters on the way
to its largest victory of the season.
“You can tell we were ready to go from the jump,” Tatum said.
It marked the eighth time this season Tatum and Brown have each scored at least 25
points in the same game.
Robert Williams finished with 16 points and nine rebounds in his return from a
sprained ankle. Derrick White added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
“They’re hungry,” Williams said of Tatum and Brown. “They’re still (upset) about last
year.”
The NBA-leading Celtics have won all three meetings with the Nets this season.
Tatum began the night second in the NBA while averaging 37.5 minutes per game. He
played just over 29 on Wednesday and was able to sit most of the fourth quarter.
Coach Joe Mazzulla said it was nice to get him some rest, but isn’t concerned about
the load he has carried so far.
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Tatum credits team trainer Nick Sang and the conversations they had since last
season for helping him maintain his body this season.
“I feel great,” Tatum said. “My body feels so much better at this time than it did last
season.”
Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Cam Thomas added 19 for Brooklyn, which
struggled throughout while shooting 41%, including 9 of 39 beyond the arc. The Nets
dropped to 4-7 since Kevin Durant sprained his right knee on Jan. 8.
“It’s clear as day that they want to win the championship, and they’re not wasting
any time in the regular season,” Irving said. “Tonight I felt like we were just one of
those teams in the way, and you know, we just can’t be one of those teams in the way.
We’ve got to be one of those teams that stands up to them.”
Brooklyn had managed to keep pace with Boston in the standings without Durant and
through recent injuries to Ben Simmons (left knee soreness) and T.J. Warren (left shin
contusion), who both sat for the third straight game.
The Celtics had their entire rotation available except for Marcus Smart, sidelined for
the fifth straight game as he recovers from his sprained right ankle. Boston took
advantage, racing to a 33-7 advantage as the Nets started just 2 of 14 from the field.
Irving missed four of his first five shots as Boston’s crowd booed whenever he
touched the basketball, mirroring the treatment he received during his most recent
visits to TD Garden.
Tatum finished the quarter with 18 points, single-handedly outscoring the Nets as
Boston took a 46-16 edge into the second quarter. The 30-point, first-quarter lead
marked the first time in franchise history Boston outscored its opponent by 30 in the
opening period.
The Celtics led 79-45 at halftime.
“This was a night where they hit first, they hit hard and it hurt,” Nets coach Jacque
Vaughn said.
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