The player: Jayson Tatum joins Larry Bird
Beaten in Chicago on Friday, the Boston Celtics took their revenge on the Bulls (123-98) on the night of Saturday to Sunday. To say that Jayson Tatum was the main architect of this success is an understatement. Vengeful, the Celtics winger pounded the opposing defense with 43 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. No Boston player before him had had a 40-point triple-double, except franchise legend Larry Bird.
With only 3 small points scored in a very balanced first quarter, the five-time All-Star let loose in the second, adding 13 units, 5 rebounds and 4 assists to give his team a 7-point lead at the break. Tatum controlled the rest of the game, finishing 16 of 24 on the field with 9 successful shots (out of 15 attempts). In the wake of their leader, the Celtics thus won their 22nd success of the season and consolidated their 2nd place in the East behind Cleveland, winner at the same time of Philadelphia.
The match: Orlando, the improbable return
Trailing by 22 points at the start of the last quarter by Miami, some Magic fans certainly turned off their TVs in a fit of rage. They shouldn't have, since Orlando achieved an improbable success by beating the Heat 37-8 in the final act (121-114). The success of the Floridians was statistically very uncertain if not impossible: in the history of the NBA, no team with such a delay 12 minutes from time had managed to turn the tide. None, except the Magic this Sunday.
Deprived of Pablo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Orlando, which remained on three losses in a row, found its hero in Cole Anthony. The leader scored 27 of his 35 points in the second period, well supported by Kentavious Caldwell Pope (24 units), and allowed the Magic to maintain their 4th position in the East.
At state: 6
Easy winners of Portland (114-94), the San Antonio Spurs counted on a great Victor Wembanyama. Author of 30 points and 7 rebounds, the Frenchman added 10 blocks to his range, a career record (tied with his performance in Toronto last February). And this, while he attended the last 8 minutes of the fourth quarter from the bench.
After Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Artis Gilmore, Dwight Howard and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wemby is only the sixth player in NBA history to record 30 points and 10 blocks in the same game. The Spurs are currently 9th in the West with a record of 15 wins and 13 defeats.
The results:
Cleveland – Philadelphia: 126 – 99
Dallas – LA Clippers : 113 – 97
San Antonio – Portland : 114 – 94
Atlanta – Memphis : 112 – 128
Brooklyn – Utah : 94 – 105
Phoenix – Detroit: 125 – 133
Chicago – Boston: 98 – 123
Milwaukee – Washington : 112 – 101
Minnesota – Golden State : 103 – 113
New Orleans – New York: 93 – 104
