What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Nets: Jayson Tatum's 54 Points Help Boston Pass Its Latest Test

Led by a 54-point masterpiece from Jayson Tatum, the Celtics earned a 126-120 win over the Nets on Sunday. Boston is 14-3 against playoff competition since New Year's Eve.

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

Led by a 54-point masterpiece from Jayson Tatum, the Celtics earned a 126-120 win over the Nets on Sunday. The victory puts Boston one game behind the fourth-seeded Bulls and 1.5 back of the third-place Bucks and second-seeded Sixers.

Sunday's game was a slugfest where Boston didn't play up to its standard defensively or get much help from its bench, but the Celtics' starters stepped up to overcome that. They also didn't let moments of frustration with the officiating take away from their focus and aid a costly run by Brooklyn.

Now, for what stood out from a win where Boston prevailed in the fourth quarter to improve to 14-3 against playoff competition since New Year's Eve.

Jayson Tatum Outshines Kevin Durant

After outdueling Ja Morant on Thursday, Jayson Tatum outshined Kevin Durant in Sunday's win. The three-time All-Star and burgeoning superstar hung 54 points on the Nets to lead Boston to victory. In doing so, Tatum tied Larry Bird with four 50-point games, the most in Celtics history.

It wasn't just about Tatum scoring over 50 points, but it was the way he did it, seemingly never taking a bad shot; nothing felt forced. He repeatedly created clean looks from beyond the arc, knocking down eight of his 15 threes (53.3 percent).

When Tatum wasn't torturing the Nets from long range, he almost exclusively lived in the paint. Pairing a hot shooting night with aggressive drives to the basket was an essential ingredient in Tatum making 16 of his 30 shots from the field (53.3 percent), taking 17 free throws and converting on 14 of them, and producing a game-high 12 points in the paint.

He also did a great job of turning the extra attention he was drawing into high-quality scoring chances for his teammates. That usually resulted in hockey assists, hence him finishing with three direct passes that led to points, a stat that doesn't justly reflect his performance as a facilitator on Sunday.

Even in crunch time of a game where he registered a season-high 54 points, doing so against a title contender led by arguably the best scorer in NBA history, Tatum was willing to give up the ball. He trusted his teammates to capitalize on the shots they got playing off him, and they often came through.

Kevin Durant was Also Spectacular on Sunday

There were plenty of instances where the Celtics made Durant work for his points, and his shots were well-contested, but it just didn't matter.

There were also times when KD created more comfortable shots for himself.

Durant finished with a team-high 37 points for the Nets, shooting 12/21 (57.1 percent) from the field, including 4/9 (44.1 percent) from beyond the arc. In the process, he eclipsed 25,000 career points. Durant's seven turnovers led to 15 points for Boston, but to go with scoring 37 of his own, he dished out eight assists and grabbed six rebounds.

Jaylen Brown Scores 21 Points in His First Game Back from Injury

Jaylen Brown was moving well in his first game back since spraining his right ankle against the Hawks on Tuesday. He demonstrated the necessary quickness to rotate on time defensively and played with explosivity on offense, most notably when he skied for a first-quarter layup.

Offensively, it took Brown about the first quarter to find his rhythm, but he registered 21 points on 8/17 (47.1 percent) shooting from the field, including 3/6 from beyond the arc. Brown also distributed five assists, hauled in four rebounds, and swiped three steals.

After the game, Brown said he thought he could give it a go today, and his ankle "felt pretty good."

Kyrie Irving Returns to TD Garden for the First Time this Season

Playing in Boston for the third time since leaving the Celtics and doing so for the first time this season, Irving had 19 points but manufactured them inefficiently, shooting 8/18 (44.4 percent). Though one suspects he wouldn't publicly acknowledge being bothered by the loud chorus of boos from the crowd at TD Garden, that seemed to be the case.

Still, Irving's widely regarded as the most skilled ball-handler in NBA history, and he's one of the most talented offensive players the league has ever seen. Even when he's in a hostile environment like on Sunday, he's still going to generate a fair amount of points and produce highlight-reel plays in the process.

Strong Showing from Boston's Starters Outweighs Quiet Game from Its Second Unit

The Celtics' bench got outscored 34-14, and as vital as Tatum's 54 points were, they also needed strong performances from the rest of their starters. Brown produced 21 points, as assessed earlier. Robert Williams provided 10 points, all at the rim, he had a game-high eight rebounds, and he led all participants with five blocks. The Timelord also chipped in two steals and two assists.

After the game, Tatum said, "Rob is probably the most important guy for the ceiling that we’re trying to get to."

Boston also got significant contributions from consummate professional Al Horford. After holding his own at times against Ja Morant on Thursday, he did so on a few occasions against Durant on Sunday. Horford also had 13 points on 4/7 shooting (57.1 percent), including 3/6 from beyond the arc. Additionally, he contributed seven rebounds and four assists.

There was also the birthday boy, Marcus Smart, again doing an excellent job orchestrating a Celtics offense that consistently created high-quality scoring chances. Smart dished out a game-high nine assists, running controls for a Boston team that shot 48.2 percent from the field, including 17/36 (47.2 percent) from three, had 40 points in the paint, and took 38 free throws to Brooklyn's 20. Smart also had 14 points in Sunday's win.

Up Next

The Celtics play the Hornets, Isaiah Thomas' new team, in Charlotte on Wednesday night. The game tips off at 7:00 ET. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

In Interview with Shams Charania, Jayson Tatum Discusses Partnership with Jaylen Brown, Differences Between Brad Stevens and Ime Udoka, and More

Celtics Sign Malik Fitts and Kelan Martin to Second 10-Day Contracts

Profile on Celtics' Latest Signing, Nik Stauskas

Profile on Celtics' Newest Signing, Matt Ryan

The Trials, Tribulations, and Growth of Ime Udoka in His First Year as Celtics' Head Coach