Jayson Tatum sent a limo for the Los Angeles Lakers. He gave them the business!
To put in perspective of what Jayson Tatum did in this game, it needs to be pointed out that he finished the first quarter with one point. One more time for clarity, one point. Then Tatum put on a show in front of everybody. He was the best player on the floor and it was not close.
When the Lakers ran off to a lead as many as 11 points, Jayson Tatum reeled them in with the quickness scoring off the dribble, from distance and on the fast break. The NBA could put together an instructional video on how to score the basketball on his exploits.
Tatum tied his career-high with 41 points against the Lakers.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 23, 2020
The 21-year-old is averaging 30 PPG in the month of February 😳 pic.twitter.com/fLJdSG27Ia
If the Lakers were stinking up the joint on defense, believe that Lake Show Life would say so. It just wasn’t the case. The man is in a zone right now.
Tatum is averaging 30 points for the month of February. This might be the Eastern Conference Player of the Month. Right now his confidence is through the roof evidenced by his tight ball-handling to get by the perimeter defenders. Despite channeling him to the rim protectors, He still scored.
After this heat check shot here, well sometimes you put up a hand and just pray he misses.
This not normal.
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 23, 2020
Jayson Tatum is a bucket ♨️
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/dyg48NdPY1
Jayson Tatum, for two and a half quarters, absolutely destroyed the Lakers. He tied his career-high with 41 points on an efficient 12-of-20 shooting from the field. These are the events that slowed Tatum down if you really want to call it that.
- Boston Celtics head coach, Brad Stevens sat him down too long in the 4th quarter.
- His teammates, particularly Brad Wanamaker kept turning the ball over, missing free throws or blowing layups.
- Frank Vogel did an outstanding job of sending a strong double team to get the ball out of his hands so the previous point would happen.
- In the 4th quarter, LeBron James screamed to the bench to switch the defensive assignment from Kyle Kuzma to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
The addition of Markieff Morris will help with the defense of the bigger wings for their playoff run. But let’s be clear here, it wouldn’t have helped in this game. Tatum was on fire.