BOSTON — It’s hard to beat the Celtics when Jayson Tatum is this good.
Tatum had 18 points through the first three quarters before scoring 17 in the fourth period alone to finish with 35 points in the Celtics’ 114-98 victory over the Knicks at the TD Garden on Monday.
The All-Star forward shot 13-of-23 from the field and 5-of-12 from downtown while also logging seven assists and six rebounds on the night.
“A player like that, of that caliber, you’ve gotta give him a lot of credit,” said Knicks star Jalen Brunson. “He hits shots like that, makes it look easy. We’re playing good defense. He’s making tough shots. I think next time, we’ve gotta be more prepared and be ready to adjust a little bit, but you’ve just gotta give him a lot of credit.”
Tatum’s fourth-quarter run started two minutes into the period when the Knicks fought back from a 10-point third-quarter deficit. Isolated on the left wing against Josh Hart, who got the start in place of RJ Barrett (migraine), Tatum lowered his shoulder, took a dribble into Hart’s chest then stepped back for a mid-range two.
Two minutes later he did the same thing, only this time from the left wing for a step-back three over Hart’s contest. The Knicks had cut the Celtics lead to just three before Tatum’s shot stunted their momentum.
Tatum did his damage in spurts. Two minutes later, he shed Hart on a top-of-the-key screen, then lost Mitchell Robinson with an in-and-out before euro-stepping around help defender Immanuel Quickley for a layup at the rim.
Then came the daggers: a step-back three over Robinson, a side-step corner three over Julius Randle, and a wide-open three as the shot clock sounded to put the icing on the cake and give the Celtics a 17-point lead with a minute left in regulation.
“He’s a great player, he’s a great scorer,” said Randle. “The game always balances out or evens out. Josh, the other guys, did a good job of making it tough for him. Unfortunately, he got it rolling there in the end. He hit some deep threes there, too.”
Tatum is now averaging 34.5 points through two games against the Knicks after hanging 34 in the season opener at Madison Square Garden.
“Yeah, obviously a great player. Try to make him work,” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. “I thought Josh, Quentin [Grimes], they were there. He’s got the ability to make. And you know. Take a look at the film, see what we can do better.”
The Knicks don’t play the Celtics again until Feb. 24, well after both the NBA All-Star break and trade deadline.
That gives them more than three months to come up with a recipe that’ll keep Boston’s top chef from cooking the Knicks the third time around.
Kristian Winfield
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