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Boston (United States) (AFP) – NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum scored 31 points Wednesday as the Boston Celtics beat the exhausted Brooklyn Nets in a brutal 139-96 thrashing.
The heavyweight clash between the two Eastern Conference rivals ended with the Nets reeling on the ropes as the Celtics set the score with a resounding wire-to-wire victory at Boston’s TD Garden.
The Celtics dominated from the start, racking up 46 points in the first quarter alone with Tatum chipping in that stretch with 18 points.
By halftime, the Celtics had taken a 34-point lead against a Brooklyn team still missing injured star Kevin Durant.
Tatum’s 31-point haul included seven 3-pointers (21 points), while Jaylen Brown supported him with 26 points.
Six Boston players finished in double figures after the lopsided blowout.
Also star Kyrie Irving led Brooklyn’s scoring with 20 points.
“A couple of days off did us good, we felt refreshed,” Tatum, the Boston star, said afterward. “We have depth and a winning mentality,” he added.
Tatum reserved special praise for Robert Williams III, who finished with 16 points and nine rebounds.
“On any given night, Rob could be the most important person to our long-term success,” Tatum clarified. “To get to where we want to go, we need Rob on the court and we need him healthy.”
Lillard beats Morant
In Memphis, meanwhile, the prolific Damian Lillard scored 42 points for the second straight game as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Grizzlies 122-112.
Lillard, who also had 10 assists and eight rebounds, is now tied with Shaquille O’Neal for 19th in the ranking of players with the most 40-point games in NBA history.
Lillard, who also scored 42 points in a win over Atlanta on Monday, is now 49-for-40 in games.
The Blazers’ star point guard chipped in nine points in the fourth quarter, while Anfernee Simons scored 14 and Portland outscored Memphis 38-22 in the quarter to clinch the win.
Memphis star Ja Morant finished with 32 points. Memphis at one point led by 12 points before Portland broke through again in the finals.
“We were down and they’re a great team, but we’re a team that’s dealt with a lot this season and we got to feel like we hit rock bottom for a moment,” Lillard said.
The star player added that “the only thing we have now is our togetherness. We have learned to fight our way out of things and I think we have learned to fight our way out of a difficult place. They put us in a position with our backs against the wall this night and responded in the way that truly connected teams do.
Lillard led Portland in scoring, while Simons finished with 26 points and Jerami Grant with 18.
Portland now improved to a 25-26 record with the win, but they remain out of the playoff positions at 11th in the Western Conference.
Detroit’s scheduled home game against the Washington Wizards this week was postponed because the Pistons were stuck in Dallas due to an ice storm, the league said.
“Due to severe weather conditions in the Dallas area, the Pistons were unable to fly back to Detroit after their game Monday at American Airlines Center,” the league said in a statement. “The date of the rescheduled game will be announced at a later time.”
More than a thousand flights in and out of the Dallas area have been canceled and with the frigid weather expected to continue, it was unclear when the Pistons would be able to return home.
– Results of Wednesday in the NBA:
Washington vs Detroit (postponed)
Portland to Memphis 122-112
Houston a Oklahoma City 112-106
Sacramento at St. Anthony 119-109
Philadelphia and Orlando 105-94
Boston a Brooklyn 139-96
Minnseota at Golden State 119-114 (in overtime)
Utah a Toronto 131-128
Atlanta at Phoenix 132-100
© 2023 AFP
