Jayson Tatum had the best game of his season so far as he dropped 24 points and 10 rebounds in the Celtics’ 120-99 win over the Warriors at Boston’s TD Garden tonight. He shot 7-15 from the field (46.7 FG%) and 5-11 from the three-point line (45.4 3P%).
This game also marked the first time Kristaps Porzingis played against the Celtics at TD Garden since he was traded away from Boston. His debut for the Warriors was also against the Celtics, but that game was at Chase Center.
The Latvian big man finished the game tonight with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and two steals while shooting 4-13 from the floor (30.8 FG%) and 2-7 from beyond the arc (28.5 3P%).
Following the game, Porzingis spoke to the media in the locker room scrum and expressed his opinions on Jayson Tatum’s special performance tonight.
“He looks good, honestly. His shot was falling already. Looks like he’s not rusty at all. Just looked a little heavy, I told him he needs to lose a couple of pounds, and he’ll be flying again,” said Porzingis.
Ten months on the sidelines can have a detrimental impact on the conditioning of a player. An elite athlete like Tatum also naturally has a sensitive metabolism and would instantly feel the impact of gaining a couple of pounds on his performance.
Therefore, Porzingis subtly encouraged his former teammate to hit the gym so that he could bounce back to the elite athleticism Tatum is known for.
Draymond Green Hails Jayson Tatum After His Best Game Of The Season
Porzingis was not the only familiar opponent, as Draymond Green, the Warriors’ veteran, also shares a close relationship with Tatum. He spoke about the Celtics star’s return to action tonight and dove into their exchanges during the game.
“Still moving well, still can get downhill, his handle’s still there, looks great,” said Green in his initial impression of Tatum’s performance after his return.
“Obviously, coming back from an injury like that, it’s going to take you a while to get your burst back. And he could still get downhill. He looks incredible. It’s amazing to see him back out there. You’re talking about a guy who loves basketball and had it taken away. So I’m happy as hell to see him back out there.”
“I told him before the game that he cannot score on me. He wanted that last shot, man, I’m glad it bounced out…. Just fun and banter, it will never be anything too crazy,” concluded Green on their exchanges during the game.
The Celtics have improved to 46-23 following tonight’s win and are second in the East (3.5 games behind the Pistons, who are the No. 1 seed. They now move on to face the Grizzlies on Friday, March 20, in Memphis.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have fallen to 33-36 and are currently 10th in the West (nine games ahead of the Grizzlies, who are in 11th place). They now head to Detroit to face the Pistons on Friday as well.
