Tatum Drops 32 as Boston Beats Dallas with Ease
If you are a Boston Celtics fan this is probably the most excited you have been to watch basketball in a long time. While Boston has been good the past few years with the dynamic duo of shooting guard Jaylen Brown and small forward Jayson Tatum among many other great players who have come and gone, even making the Eastern Conference Finals in five of the last seven seasons and making the NBA Finals in 2022, they have never been this good. Through 59 games played this season, Boston is currently sitting on the top of the Eastern Conference and the whole NBA with an overall record of 47-12. This win marks their tenth straight and it came against no easy opponent in point guard Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, but the Celtics still won by 28 points. Let’s take a look at how Boston got this win.
Both of these teams started this game hot as there were 70 points scored combined between the two squads in the first quarter alone. However, Boston was still able to end the quarter with a six-point lead, up 38-32 as the game headed into the second quarter. Center Kristaps Porzingis led the way for the Celtics with a stellar first quarter scoring 13 points on six shot attempts. In the second quarter, the game would continue at virtually the same speed as the Celtics only extended their lead by one in the quarter, outscoring Dallas 28-27, to head into the locker room up seven points, 66-59. The Mavericks were led at the half by Doncic with 20 points, while Boston was led by Porzingis with 16 points.
During the third quarter, the Celtics would extend their lead to 12 points by the end of the period as they outscored the Mavs 36-31 to put themselves up 102-90 heading into the fourth quarter. While Doncic would continue his incredible play in the second half of this one, becoming third on the all-time NBA list for most 30-point career triple-doubles (with his now 40 career 30+ point career triple-doubles) behind only point guards Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook, the Celtics were too much for Dallas to handle in this one as the game got completely away from them in the fourth quarter as Boston outscored them 36-20 in the final period to win this one 138-110 in TD Garden.
Tatum led the way for Boston with 32 points, while Brown and Porzingis had 25 and 24 respectively. Doncic led the way for Dallas finishing with 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists, while point guard Kyrie Irving finished with 19 points. Dallas will be back in action on Sunday afternoon when they take on point guard Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers in Dallas, while Boston will stay home to take on point guard Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Sunday afternoon.
