In a Game Full of Stars, Tatum Shines Brightest

Back in January, the Celtics dismantled the Lakers by 30, which as fun as that was, it wasn’t what I expected. On Sunday, we got exactly what all basketball fans wanted when the Celtics and Lakers met again, this time in Los Angeles. This game was a dogfight for all four quarters, but the Lakers edged out the Celts 114-112. Whether you’re a Celtics fan, Lakers fan or just basketball fan in general, the only way to start this off is with one player: Jayson Tatum.

Tatum showed us exactly why it’s believed he’ll be a perennial All-Star and could become one of the best players in the league. The 21 year old put up 41 points along with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. He really showed us everything in his offensive arsenal. He was getting to the basket with ease, efficient from three and was able to go toe to toe with two of the best players in the league in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

It was a playoff atmosphere in Staples Center even before the ball was tipped. I can feel my hair getting grayer as I write this, by the way. The notoriously slow-starting Celtics did just that unfortunately and it took them basically half a quarter to find their groove offensively. Luckily, the defense was awesome, especially Jaylen Brown. He had the tall (literally) task of the guarding LeBron and Anthony Davis. And let me tell you, it was some of, if not the best, one-on-one defense I’ve seen him play.

Despite the slow start and early 11 point Lakers lead, the Celtics headed into the locker room at halftime only down 56-54. For the most part, they were able to hold Davis at bay with only 8 points on 4-11 shooting. Unfortunately for the Celts, Davis came alive in the second half with 24 points. Not to mention LeBron did LeBron things throughout and ended with 29 points, 8 boards and 9 assists. You know, casually. As well as hitting that turn around jumper to give the Lakers a 111-110 lead with 30 seconds left. Trust me, I’ll be seeing that in my nightmares for weeks.

And I hate to be this guy, but I need to rant on the refs for just a second. They called a Jaylen Brown turnover with 15 seconds left and if you were watching on TV, the ball is CLEARLY off Anthony Davis. I don’t know if their camera was blurry down there or what, but man, what an awful call. They immediately follow it up with a technical foul on Celtics coach Brad Stevens. How in the world are you going to call a tech in THAT moment. But, as we all know, ball don’t lie. Davis missed the technical free throw and all was right in the world.

What wasn’t right was my guy Gordon Hayward. This was just a bad Hayward game shooting wise. 5-15, 0-5 from three and only 10 points…yikes. His play making ability was there cashing in on 9 assists, and he was active defensively disrupting passing lanes and grabbing 8 boards. I’m a Hayward apologist, I know. But, much as I love Hayward, he has a bad habit of not scoring in games like these. That’s going to need to change if they want to go anywhere in the postseason.

You can’t win them all, and the Lakers just flat out executed better when the game was on the line. It happens. Not what we wanted to start off this road trip as Celtics fans, but there are still good things to take away from it. If this is the kind of defensive energy they can take to Portland, it’s bad news for the Blazers.