NBA: Tatum powers Celtics over Hornets as Bucks keep up the chase

NEW YORK – Averaging 30.8 points a game this National Basketball Association (NBA) season, Jayson Tatum knows that the Boston Celtics rely heavily on him to score, while he also understands that he will need a rest at some point.

Thankfully, for the forward, Derrick White stepped up on Friday night.

Tatum’s 41 points and Boston’s 25 three-pointers propelled the league-leading Celtics to a 40th win of the NBA season at TD Garden as they swept past the Charlotte Hornets 127-116.

He posted his eighth 40-point game of the season. But even with Jaylen Brown sidelined by a facial fracture and Al Horford out with a sore knee, Tatum did not have to carry the offensive load alone, as White scored a career-high 33 points and handed out 10 assists.

The guard’s output included eight of the Celtics’ 25 three-pointers, which came on 55 attempts.

“Shot was feeling good,” White said. “I was getting some good looks and just letting it fly.”

Tatum was glad for the support, and said that the Celtics must be 100 per cent as a team in every game.

“You understand, in the course of a game, leads are never safe. Regardless of a team’s record, they’re always capable of making plays and knocking down shots,” he said.

“I see earlier (president of basketball operations) Brad (Stevens) told you guys he was making me sit out next week. So I’ll get some rest then.”

Less than a minute into the contest, Sam Hauser and White drilled back-to-back three-pointers and the Celtics cruised from there.

Boston had a franchise-record 16 three-pointers in the first half and even when the Hornets put together a 15-0 scoring run in the third quarter, the Celtics’ lead remained in double digits.

Tatum drained five from beyond the arc and became the first NBA player to make 1,000 three-pointers before his 25th birthday.

“He’s locked in,” White added, of his 24-year-old teammate.

“He took his game to another level this season. It’s been fun to see, fun to play with. He just makes the right play every time down.”

The Celtics maintained their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference on 40-16, ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks (39-17).

The Bucks are hot on their heels, though.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 35 points with eight rebounds and Brook Lopez added 22 points with 15 rebounds as Milwaukee extended their winning streak to a season-best 10 games with a 119-106 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Jrue Holiday had 19 points and Jevon Carter added 13 as the Bucks won without Khris Middleton, who was given the night off on the second night of a back-to-back for load management after recently returning from a knee injury.

Milwaukee claimed their first double-digit game winning streak since they won 18 in a row during the 2019-20 season.

The Bucks improved to 3-0 on a stretch where they will play four of five games on the road, with a showdown at home on Tuesday against the Celtics.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia 76ers avenged a humbling defeat in New York City last Sunday with a 119-108 home triumph over the Knicks.

Philadelphia’s star centre Joel Embiid scored 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Tyrese Maxey added 27 points off the bench as the Sixers rallied from 13 down to win.

Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson scored 30 points apiece for the Knicks, with Brunson pouring in 20 in the first quarter alone.

But the Sixers turned the tide in the third quarter and trailed by just one going into the final period, when they outscored the Knicks 27-15.

Philadelphia (35-19) are third in the Eastern Conference.

In the West, Ja Morant scored 32 points with nine rebounds and nine assists and Desmond Bane added 20 in the Grizzlies’ comfortable 128-107 home victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Memphis improved to 34-21, behind the conference-leading Denver Nuggets (38-18).

AFP, REUTERS