Jayson Tatum was clearly motivated by the presence of celebrities like Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Carmelo Anthony, and Stephon Marbury at Madison Square Garden on a snowy New York night.
With the eyes of the basketball world watching, the Celtics had another chance to showcase their championship credentials against a tough opponent.
This wasn’t just any game; it was in New York, not Cleveland, and Tatum was determined to bounce back from his lackluster showing against the Dallas Mavericks.
Right from the opening 48 seconds of the first quarter, Tatum set the tone. After receiving a pass from Derrick White and using a screen from Luke Kornet, he outmaneuvered Karl-Anthony Towns with a deceptive move, leaving Precious Achiuwa as the last defender.
Tatum then powerfully dunked the ball, marking the first points of the game and setting the stage for his exceptional performance.
Tatum’s 40-point game, especially his 18 in the third quarter, was a spectacle. He danced with the crowd’s energy, sinking three-pointers, exploiting the Knicks’ double teams to drive or pass to open teammates.
His ability to navigate and dismantle the defense tailored to stop him was impressive, and his teammates complemented his efforts beautifully.
This dominant 131-104 victory over the Knicks, even without key players like Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, underscored the Celtics as the Eastern Conference’s top team and confirmed Tatum’s status as an elite player.
Despite recent signs of fatigue as the All-Star Break approached, Tatum shone brightly when it mattered most, suggesting that the Knicks’ strategy to contain him with Mikal Bridges might not be the game-changer they hoped for.
“Besides Boston, this is probably the best place to play,” Tatum said of New York. “They got, you know, all the celebrities. They also have an edge about them. They know basketball. They’re passionate. They chant, and they’re cheering the whole time. So, it’s a special place to play.
“We lost last game, and finding out [Porzingis] was out right before the game. We knew it was going to be a challenge. I saw Denzel Washington sitting courtside, so I was excited about that.”
Even though Brad Stevens, president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, was relatively quiet at the trade deadline with just one minor move, he expressed confidence in the team’s depth when everyone is performing well. The Celtics’ performance on Saturday was a testament to this, and it’s a promising sign that their consistency is becoming more reliable.
If Luke Kornet were a quarterback, his performance would equate to a perfect passer rating of 158.3. He went 7-for-7 from the field, blocked three shots, and grabbed 12 rebounds, just one shy of his career best. The Celtics have been hoping for Kornet to toughen up his game, showing a bit more edge like Nicky Santoro from “Casino” rather than his usual Mr. Rogers persona.
This might have been Kornet’s best game as a Celtic, signaling he can be trusted with significant playing time, especially in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis. With 29 games left in the season, the Celtics have a chance to address their deficiencies, help players who’ve been struggling to find their form, and build greater team confidence and unity.
“It was obviously a game that the guys wanted,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “It should be that way but at the same time we have to do the same thing 36 hours or whatever it is from now (against Miami). It was a great environment and I thought the guys kind of relished in that and stuck together.”
One takeaway from this victory was that it left the Knicks just as perplexed as they were when the Celtics hit 29 three-pointers to rout them in the season opener.
The Knicks had made notable offseason acquisitions, including trading for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, and re-signing OG Anunoby, who was sidelined for Saturday’s game with a foot injury.
Despite having 3½ months to prepare since their last encounter and four days to rest, the Knicks demonstrated they still have a considerable gap to close if they aim to be among the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
“”We have a lot of work to do. As simple as that,” Towns said. “There’s no sugarcoating. There’s no moral wins. This is something we have to work on. We got to find a way to beat teams like tonight. That’s a team that is in the race. They want to be in the race as much as we do to win a championship but for them, it’s another one. A back-to-back. Like I said, championship teams are great teams, in my experience. They test your discipline and that’s something that we have to work on.”
With only two games remaining before the All-Star Break – against Miami and San Antonio – Saturday’s game demonstrated that the Celtics are nearing full strength as they head into this well-deserved respite. They’ve successfully navigated two recent challenges, including a standout performance at basketball’s iconic venue. It was heartening to see the Celtics exhibit their championship qualities under the spotlight.
The challenge now is to maintain that level of performance even when the stakes aren’t as high.
