Celtics Rout Kings
Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 36 points as the Boston Celtics routed the Sacramento Kings 132-109. The Celtics reached 50 wins for the 35th time in franchise history, the most such seasons by any franchise.
Tatum shot 14-25 from the field (56.0%), breaking a streak of five straight games in which he recorded a field goal percentage less than 50%. He also contributed eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Teammate Jaylen Brown scored 27 points, shooting 10-16 from the field with four 3-pointers made. It’s the 31st time Tatum and Brown have each scored at least 25 points in the same game this season, the seventh-most such games by a duo in NBA history:
37 — Alex English & Kiki VanDeWeghe (1982-83)
33 — Oscar Robertson & Jack Twyman (1961-62)
33 — Elgin Baylor & Jerry West (1962-63)
33 — Baylor & West (1964-65)
33 — English & VanDeWeghe (1983-84)
33 — Shaquille O’Neal & Kobe Bryant (2000-01)
31 — Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown (2022-23)
Tatum and Brown have recorded 66 such career games, breaking a tie with John Havlicek and Jo Jo White for the most such games by a duo in franchise history:
66 — Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown
65 — John Havlicek & Jo Jo White
64 — Larry Bird & Kevin McHale
44 — Larry Bird & Robert Parish
44 — Paul Pierce & Antoine Walker
Celtics guard Derrick White scored 20 points and dished out a game-high 12 assists. White has recorded four 20-point, 10-assist games since February 10, a span of 18 games. Prior to that, he had never produced such a game in 318 career games.
The Kings’ Domantas Sabonis recorded his 30th career triple-double in the loss, compiling 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. Sabonis is the 18th player in NBA history to reach that mark, and just the third center to do so (Wilt Chamberlain and Nikola Jokic). Only six players have recorded 30 triple-doubles in fewer games than Sabonis (485):
75 — Oscar Robertson
146 — Luka Doncic
190 — Magic Johnson
228 — Ben Simmons
312 — Nikola Jokic
375 — Jason Kidd
Quick Hitters
Some other notes from around the NBA:
Trae Young scored a team-high 30 points and distributed a game-high 12 assists as the Atlanta Hawks blew out the Detroit Pistons 129-107. The Hawks continue to hover around the break-even point, ending the game with a record of 36-36. They have been within one game of .500 after each of their last 26 games, breaking a tie with the 2014-15 New Orleans Pelicans for the longest such streak in NBA history.
Jonas Valanciunas scored 19 points on 8-10 shooting from the field, adding 15 rebonds and five assists in just 28 minutes played as the New Orleans Pelicans destroyed the San Antonio Spurs 119-84. It’s the sixth time the Spurs have lost a game by at least 35 points this season, tying the NBA record for most such losses in a single season (2016-17 Los Angeles Lakers and 2020-21 Orlando Magic). No other team has recorded more than two such losses this season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 31 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the LA Clippers 101-100 to even their record at 36-36. It’s the 40th time Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 30 points in a game this season, tied for the second-most such games in the NBA. He’s the third player in franchise history to record at least 40 30-point games in a season, joining Kevin Durant (2009-10 and 2013-14) and Russell Westbrook (2016-17).
Led by Garry Harris’ 22 points, seven Orlando Magic players scored at least 14 points in a 122-112 win over the Washington Wizards. Magic rookie Paolo Banchero scored an efficient 18 points, shooting 6-9 from the field and 6-6 from the free throw line. He also contributed team highs of nine rebounds (tied) and eight assists.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell recorded his 26th 30-point game of the season, scoring a game-high 31 points in a 115-109 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. The only player in franchise history to record more such games in a single season is LeBron James (seven times).