The Cleveland Cavaliers will be visiting Boston, Massachusetts, to take on the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
Jayson Tatum, an All-Star forward, Һit a spectacular dunk during the game that has gone viral online.
After receiving the ball from Jaylen Brown, who was leading the fast-break, Tatum dribbled it once before launching himself into a massive slam dunk.
Before tonight’s game, Tatum had played in 22 games, averaging 27.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 49.1% from the field and 34.9% from close range.
With a 17-5 record after 22 games, the Celtics have earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
They are currently riding a two-game winning streak and have a 7-3 record over their past ten games.
On Tuesday, the Celtics won a 120-113 game against the Cavaliers (also in Boston).
While shooting 7/19 from the field and 2/9 from beyond the arc, Tatum recorded 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks in 41 minutes of game time.In his seventh season of professional basketball, Tatum has been with the Celtics for all seven of those years. He was drafted third overall by the NBA in 2017 out of Duke.
For the past four years running, he has been a mainstay among the NBA’s top 15 players and a regular starter in the All-Star Game.
On Friday night, following Thursday’s game, the Orlando Magic will be the guests at the Boston Celtics’ home court.
They have an undefeated record of 11-0 when playing at home.
Celtics improve to 12-0 at home behind Jayson Tatum’s 27 points in 116-107 win over Cavs
With 27 points from Jayson Tatum and 22 from Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-107 on Thursday night, extending their home winning streak to 12 games.
After beating the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Boston will face them again at TD Garden for the second straight game. They have won six of their last seven games.
On top of having the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics got 18 points from Kristaps Porzingis, 15 from Jrue Holiday, and 14 from Derrick White. Every one of the five starters reached double figures, while Tatum chipped in with eleven boards.
“I believe we were held in a stalemate, meticulousness,” Holiday remarked. “We were in complete command of this game from start to finish, weathering their attacks and creating opportunities in the final minutes.”
Cleveland was led by 31 points from Donovan Mitchell, 26 from Caris LeVert, and 19 from Darius Garland. Three losses in a row have befallen the Cavaliers.
In the fourth quarter, the Celtics regained control after seeing their double-digit advantage cut to three points. With 8 and a half minutes remaining, Tatum ignited a rapid surge for the Celtics by making a fadeaway and a step-back 3-pointer, increasing their advantage to 101-91.
With 3 minutes and 1 second remaining, Cleveland was within striking distance thanks to a driving basket by LeVert; however, Holiday scored a layup and Tatum slammed after a turnover by Cleveland with 1 minute and 53 seconds remaining, ending their final scoring opportunity.
“To tell the trutҺ, I felt we could have played a lot better,” Brown stated. I felt like we were a bit sluggish and let them keep the game close. It’s risky since some teams are within striking distance and can suԀԀenly grow . It’s imperative that we improve our team defense.
After spending much of the third quarter behind and appearing lethargic, the Cavaliers finally regained some life thanks to Garland, who scored a game-winning basket with a dribble-popping left-handed scoop shot. Then, with only 0.3 seconds remaining, he Һit a 3-pointer from above the arc, bringing the score close to 90-87 following the three.
In Tuesday’s win, the Celtics were down 15 early in the first quarter. However, this time around, they took advantage of the Cavaliers’ sluggish start and went ahead by 14 points on Brown’s 3-pointer from the right corner midway through the second quarter.
Joe Mazzulla, coach of the Boston Bruins, stated, “I think it’s growth to constantly be challenged throughout the season.”. “Our guys have been playing at a consistent level, putting in a lot of effort to execute, and playing well together over the last two games.”
With a 56.1% shooting percentage (including 8 for 17 from beyond the arc), Boston took a 65-54 lead into halftime.
Although Mitchell scored 21 points in the first half, the Cavaliers were unable to convert on 16 out of 20 attempts from beyond the arc. With the exception of Mitchell, all of Cleveland’s starters shot below 50% in the first frame.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff expressed his concerns about the team’s lack of aggression and assertiveness. “We picked it up, though I thought we settled for shots a bit too early.”
Following Tuesday’s flawless performance (26 free throws), Boston struggled from the charity stripe, going just 17 for 20.