Jayson Tatum tops Giannis Antetokounmpo in a starry Christmas showcase
Tatum #Tatum
The sea parted for Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum as he cut into the paint, only for his opening to disappear in a split second as Giannis Antetokounmpo rotated to the front of the rim. Here was a midair meeting that was months in the making: a pair of leading MVP candidates on the NBA’s best teams, going chest-to-chest during the marquee contest of the league’s annual Christmas extravaganza.
Tatum barely adjusted to Antetokounmpo’s sudden emergence, angling just a bit to the right as he finished a poster dunk over a two-handed contesting effort by the Milwaukee Bucks big man. The force of the second-quarter slam led Tatum to hang on the rim with his right hand, swirling for emphasis as Antetokounmpo ducked out of the way.
“I was going to attack the rim,” Tatum said during a postgame interview. “If you go in to lay it up, he’s going to send it to the parking lot.”
The Celtics rode the momentum from Tatum’s mano-a-mano triumph to defeat the Bucks in a 139-118 runaway Sunday at TD Garden, highlighting a five-game holiday slate that was filled with standout performances by stars and several impressive comebacks.
Tatum posted a game-high 41 points, including a 20-point burst in the third quarter that put Boston comfortably in command, to go with seven rebounds and five assists. The three-time all-star shot 14 for 22 from the field, 3 for 7 from deep and 10 for 10 from the free throw line, settling into a groove that recalled his best performances from Boston’s second-round series victory over Milwaukee in May.
“We wanted to come out in the second half, especially to start the third quarter, with some pace and energy,” Tatum said. “It’s good to give our fans a present.”
NBA Christmas preview: The NBA’s future will be on display with Ja Morant
As Tatum made it look easy, Antetokounmpo couldn’t find the touch on his jumper and struggled to find room to work against Boston’s interior defense, shooting 9 for 22 on the night. The two-time MVP finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and three assists as the Bucks were outshot and outworked by their conference rivals.
Tensions flared in the closing minutes despite Boston’s big lead as Antetokounmpo ended a frustrating night by picking up a technical foul for shoving Celtics guard Jaylen Brown in the back. Remarkably, Milwaukee was outscored by 27 points in Antetokounmpo’s 35 minutes.
Milwaukee again felt the absence of forward Khris Middleton, who has missed the past five games with knee soreness. Middleton also missed last year’s second-round series, which robbed the 2021 NBA champions of one of their best late-game closers and perimeter defenders. Without their three-time all-star, the Bucks had no answer for Brown, who added 29 points, five rebounds and four assists, or the Celtics’ top-ranked offense, which hit 19 three-pointers.
Tatum had a signature performance, but he was hardly the only star to rise to the occasion. With Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry sidelined by a shoulder injury and Kevin Durant watching from home because his Brooklyn Nets didn’t make the cut for the Christmas quintuple-header, Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic helped fill the void.
In the day’s opener, the Philadelphia 76ers scored a 119-112 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden thanks to 35 points and eight rebounds from Embiid and 29 points and 13 assists from James Harden. After a sleepy start, Philadelphia’s stars took control in the second half as the Knicks’ offense sputtered down the stretch. Together, Embiid and Harden attempted 26 free throws against the overwhelmed New York defense.
“Our fouls, they hurt us,” Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Embiid is a great player. Harden is a great player. If you’re not disciplined, that’s going to hurt you, and it did.”
It was a galvanizing victory for Philadelphia, one that led Embiid to soak in a fourth-quarter ovation from scattered 76ers fans in Manhattan. In addition to Embiid’s punishing play inside and Harden’s controlled orchestration, the 76ers got nine combined three-pointers from De’Anthony Melton and Georges Niang.
Melton, acquired in a summer trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, has brought a vital defensive intensity to Philadelphia’s backcourt as a stand-in starter for the injured Tyrese Maxey. The 76ers have won eight straight to climb into the Eastern Conference’s fifth seed.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who finished with 23 points and 11 assists, left the contest in the fourth quarter with an apparent hip injury. Even before he departed, New York had stalled out, conceding a 24-9 run to start the fourth. After running off eight straight wins, the Knicks have lost three straight.
Kevin Durant still just wants to hoop. The game demands more.
Sunday’s second contest saw Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks follow the 76ers’ lead by launching a massive second-half comeback against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Though James led all scorers with 38 points in his record-setting 17th appearance on Christmas, the Mavericks had 51 points in the third quarter to cruise to a 124-115 home victory.
Doncic eased into the game but finished with 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, draining a corner three-pointer late in the fourth quarter to slam the door. Dallas hit 18 three-pointers, doubling Los Angeles’s total.
“We talked about being ready to initiate, sustain and finish with energy, effort and competitiveness,” Lakers Coach Darvin Ham said. “We left it in the locker room at halftime. Giving up a 51-point quarter is unacceptable — completely unacceptable.”
Dallas used the holiday to celebrate franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki by unveiling a bronze statue outside American Airlines Center during a pregame ceremony. Naturally, the 44-year-old Nowitzki, who is eligible for Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction in 2023, was depicted shooting one of his patented one-legged fadeaway jumpers.
“It says there on the side, under my name on the base, it’s 21 letters for 21 years,” Nowitzki said. “I think it sums up my career here for the Dallas Mavericks perfectly. It says, ‘Loyalty never fades away.’ ”
The Lakers, who lost Anthony Davis to a foot injury this month, fell for the fourth straight time without their all-star big man. To make matters worse, Los Angeles has four games remaining on a five-game trip as Davis remains out indefinitely, raising the possibility that James and company will miss the playoffs for a second straight year.
Sign up for our weekly NBA newsletter to get the best basketball coverage in your inbox