NBA: All-Star MVP Tatum turns focus to Boston's title bid

SALT LAKE CITY – NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Jayson Tatum is turning his attention to the Boston Celtics’ bid for a championship after

scoring an All-Star Game record 55 points on Sunday.

Tatum made 22 of 31 shots from the floor, 10-of-18 from three-point range, and added 10 rebounds and six assists to spark Team Giannis over Team LeBron 184-175.

But with the showcase classic behind him, the 24-year-old forward, who is averaging 30.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists this season, is now focused on leading the Celtics to a National Basketball Association (NBA) ring.

“Now it’s go time,” Tatum said. “We’ve got to have one common goal and that’s to win a championship. This was a good break for us mentally and physically, but it’s time to get back to work.”

Tatum, in his sixth campaign, carried the Celtics to the NBA Finals last season for the first time since 2010, although Boston lost to the Golden State Warriors.

He has learnt how important the final weeks of the regular season can be in the overall title chase.

“Since I’ve been in the league, the team that has kind of clicked in this last stretch usually is the team that wins it all, so this stretch is important,” he said.

“You want to be as healthy as possible going into the play-offs. You want to be playing your best basketball, individually and as a group, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”

At a league-best 42-17, the Celtics are just ahead of Milwaukee (41-17) atop the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia third at 38-19 followed by Cleveland and Brooklyn, who have shipped stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to Phoenix and Dallas respectively.

Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo played only a moment in the All-Star Game due to a right wrist sprain but hopes to return for the Bucks’ final stretch.

In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets are just behind the Celtics for the overall lead at 41-18 with Memphis a distant second on 35-22 and Sacramento third on 32-25, followed closely by the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix and Dallas.

Serbian centre Nikola Jokic, the NBA MVP of the past two seasons, is averaging a triple-double for Denver with 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists a game.

He said the Nuggets enjoy the fact that other clubs receive more attention than Denver even though they are at the top.

“We like it,” Jokic said. “We don’t need (attention)... We believe in the basketball system that we’ve built over the years, so it works. We are thinking about ourselves and just how to get better.”

Phoenix and Dallas have bolstered their rosters with Durant joining the formidable Suns duo Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton and Irving pairing with Luka Doncic for the Mavericks.

“It’s going to be incredible,” Durant said of the Doncic-Irving partnership. “It’s going to be tough to guard them.”

Durant is especially excited to play alongside veteran guard Chris Paul, saying the 37-year-old, still seeking his first NBA crown, can “create so much”. AFP