BOSTON – Royalty was in the crowd at the TD Garden on Wednesday, and camera phones were fixated on William and Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, who are in the United States for the first time in eight years.
But at the end of the night, it was Boston’s very own “prince” Jayson Tatum who stole the show.
The forward put up a season-high 49 points as the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics enjoyed a 134-121 National Basketball Association (NBA) win over the Miami Heat.
With the victory, the Celtics extended their home winning streak to 10 games and their overall record to 18-4 this season.
It was Tatum’s ninth 30-point game in November, tying his personal best month – only Larry Bird has produced more 30 point games in a calendar month for the storied Boston team.
The 24-year-old, who received chants of “MVP” whenever he went to the free-throw line, shot 15 of 25 from the floor, made eight of his 12 three-point attempts, as well as 11 of 12 free throws. He also collected 11 rebounds.
“Just kind of being in the right spot,” Tatum said. “I seen a couple go down early. Just kind of shooting in rhythm.”
He set the tone of Boston’s dominance from the outset, scoring six points in the opening minute and putting 28 points on the board by half-time.
The Heat (10-12) tried to keep pace with their free-scoring opponents, with Max Strus and Bam Adebayo scoring 23 points each. Adebayo was ejected in the final moments after two technical fouls.
The fifth straight win for the Celtics came in what was a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals and although Miami were without their star forward Jimmy Butler, Tatum felt it was a significant result for his team.
“This is a good test, it is a team we have been competing against for the last couple of years and regardless of who is in, or out, we know we are going to get their best,” he said.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said his team lost because Boston were able to get points in transition and also gain extra possessions by having the determination to scramble to loose balls. “Now we have to figure out how to overcome that to get a win,” he said.
In New York, Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 37 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Knicks 109-103.
In Brooklyn, Kevin Durant had 39 points in the Nets’ 113-107 win over the Washington Wizards with his 351st career 30-point game, taking him past Jerry West as the eighth-most in NBA history.
Durant followed up his season-high 45 points in Monday’s win over Orlando with another fine display, as Brooklyn condemned the Wizards to their fourth loss in five games.
Devin Booker scored a season-high 51 points before resting in the fourth quarter as the West-leading Phoenix Suns extended their winning streak to six games with a 132-113 victory over the visiting Chicago Bulls.
Deandre Ayton scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Phoenix (15-6), who led wire-to-wire and improved to 12-1 at home. AFP, REUTERS
