Jayson Tatum had 43 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 123-98 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. It was also a 40-point triple-double as well, making Tatum and Larry Bird the only players in Celtics history to accomplish such a feat.
He further cemented his status among the all-time greats, becoming one of the two NBA players, with James Harden being the other, to ever record 40 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and nine made three-pointers in a single game. “It’s all about finding your moments to accommodate the game,” Tatum said, accrediting coach Joe Mazzulla, who told him to ramp up his teammates.
The Celtics, seeking revenge after a 117-108 loss to the Bulls on Thursday, also got 22 points from Kristaps Porzingis and 19 points from Jaylen Brown. Chicago’s Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and 10 rebounds, but Zach LaVine, who scored 36 on Thursday, managed just 14.
Boston’s victory kept them within striking distance of the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, who improved to 25-4 with a 126-99 blowout of the Philadelphia 76ers. Darius Garland paced Cleveland with 26 points while the Sixers were without star center Joel Embiid.
Elsewhere, LeBron James powered the Los Angeles Lakers past the Sacramento Kings 103-99 with 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists as James, after a poor shooting night, said they were concentrating on “the little things” to win back-to-back road games.
Notable efforts included Bobby Portis stepping up with a huge performance for the Milwaukee Bucks in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Damian Lillard scored 34 points in a 112-101 win over the Wizards, as Steph Curry rebounded with 31 points and 10 assists to guide the Warriors to a 113-103 victory over Minnesota.
The Spurs cruised past the Trail Blazers 114-94 as Victor Wembanyama registered 30 points and 10 blocks, and the Orlando Magic mounted a historic comeback to stun the Miami Heat 121-114.
