Celtics' Jayson Tatum Mirrors Kevin Garnett In Big Win Over Thunder
Boston’s stars delivered against the NBA’s best in a statement win that had echoes of championship basketball.
Celtics' Jayson Tatum Mirrors Kevin Garnett In Big Win Over Thunder originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Boston Celtics snapped Oklahoma City’s 12-game winning streak with a 119-109 victory on Wednesday night at TD Garden, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the way with complete, all-around performances.
Tatum posted 19 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block, becoming the first Celtic to reach those exact numbers since Kevin Garnett did it on Nov. 7, 2007 (just KG's third game in Boston), per Celtics reporter Taylor Snow . Brown poured in 31 points with eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals, outdueling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a matchup of Eastern and Western Conference contenders.
“It’s still just one regular season game, but defending champs, the last two teams to win the championship, the way that they play and compete and how talented they are, just two really good teams going head-to-head,” Tatum said postgame, per Snow. “Just as a competitor it raises your level of play. And it was just fun being out there in an intense game.
” Brown echoed the sentiment, calling it “a great, encouraging game for JT” against a physical, high-level opponent and a step forward in Tatum’s return from injury. The Celtics trailed by 11 after the first quarter but flipped the script in the third and early fourth, using a 20-11 run to seize control. Tatum missed the first 62 games of the season due to Achilles rehab but has looked increasingly comfortable in his return.