It’s awards season at Celtics.com! We’re handing out six awards throughout the middle of June as we roll through this year’s Celtics.com Awards Series. We may not have trophies or acceptance speeches, but we do have some top-flight Celtics performances to outline. Here we go…Boston
It’s awards season at Celtics.com! We’re handing out six awards throughout the middle of June as we roll through this year’s Celtics.com Awards Series. We may not have trophies or acceptance speeches, but we do have some top-flight Celtics performances to outline. Here we go…
Award Player
Most Improved Player Payton Pritchard
Defensive Player of the Year Derrick White
Most Valuable Player Jayson Tatum
Game of the Year March 8 vs. Lakers
Sixth Man of the Year —
Sharpshooter of the Year —
Boston’s 61-win season (66 including the playoffs) gave us plenty of options to choose from for our Game of the Year award.
There was the Opening Night beatdown of the New York Knicks, when the freshly-ringed Celtics knocked down an NBA record-tying 29 3-pointers in a 132-109 win. There was the 120-117 NBA Cup win over the 15-0 Cleveland Cavaliers, led by a 20-point effort from 38-year-old Al Horford. There was the 54-point win over the Toronto Raptors on New Year’s Eve, marking the largest margin of victory at home in franchise history. There was the 26-point comeback on Feb. 2 in Philadelphia, the largest come-from-behind win of the Joe Mazzulla era. And there was the historic 40-40 game from Payton Pritchard and Derrick White on March 5 against Portland.
But the one that stood above all, at least in our opinion, was the one that rekindled the greatest rivalry in sports. The March 8 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, where Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led the Celtics past LeBron James and his new superstar teammate, Luka Doncic, in an epic battle at TD Garden.
After Doncic’s trade to the Lakers in February, NBA fans began circling this game as the matchup of the year. Airing at primetime on a Saturday night, it lived up to the hype.
The four stars aligned – two on either side of the court – and each did their part in restoring balance, luster, and competitiveness to the legendary feud.
The Jays combined for 71 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists, and five steals, while James and Doncic teamed up for 56 points, 22 rebounds, and 12 assists. Ultimately, the duo with the better stats came away with the better result, as Brown and Tatum lifted Boston to a 111-101 win, cooling off a Lakers team that entered the night with eight straight wins under their belt. Tatum and Brown were in sync from the jump, scoring 10 points apiece during the first quarter before finishing the half with 22 and 16, respectively. Tatum carried the offense for a good portion of the night, while Brown set the tone on defense, picking up the Doncic assignment.
Mazzulla applauded both of their efforts, which required 45 minutes from Tatum and 42 from Brown.
“The mental and emotional and physical toughness that it takes to do what Jaylen is able to do, like he did tonight, is just high-level by him,” Mazzulla said after the game. “And Jayson’s ability to take pride in his individual defense – when your best players take pride in individual defense, I think it sets a tone for your team. Those guys take on that challenge, and JB thrives taking on that challenge.”
Tatum flirted with a triple-double, tallying 40 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. Brown added 31 points, six rebounds, two assists, and three steals.
On the other side, Doncic logged 34 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. And James added 22 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.
Even though Doncic scored in bunches, the Celtics limited his role as a facilitator. He finished with two more turnovers (five) than assists, while the Jays combined for only five turnovers.
Meanwhile, Boston held James without a 3-pointer or a free throw for just the 12th time in his 22-year career.
The Celtics fans played their part, creating what Brown compared to a postseason atmosphere.
“Shoutout to the Celtics fans,” he said. “It felt like a playoff-type intensity. Obviously the history between the Celtics and Lakers is prevalent, so tonight I feel like both sides, both teams, came in and brought it from the jump … Today was not one of those regular-season normal games where it’s whatever. Today was a good day for basketball.”
Tatum agreed, declaring, “The rivalry is alive.”
He added, “The NBA is a better place when the Lakers and Celtics are two of the best teams. Primetime game, Saturday night; it was fun. As a fan, as a competitor, these are the games you want to be a part of.”
