Unexpected Celtics duo makes history
This past week, Celtics guard Derrick White and Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner Payton Pritchard both scored 41 and 43 points in a 10-point win against the Trail Blazers. In a game where the Celtics were without Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday, White and Pritchard marked the first time in Celtics history a duo has ever had 40+ points in the same game. This is an incredibly impressive feat — not just for the total points recorded for the team but for what it represents. The Celtics have created a team of players ready to step up and take their opportunity, a promising motif for the upcoming playoffs. It was evident last year as well when Derrick White’s 35-point game against the Heat sealed the deal for the first round. The playoffs are only between four or five teams at the moment, but it is shaping up to be an extremely exciting few weeks.
Cavaliers on a 14-game win streak
The Cavaliers continue to prove to any remaining doubters that they are for real and a team no one wants to face in the playoffs. The Cavaliers extended their win streak to 14 with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Donovan Mitchell has been the key, averaging 27/4/4. Jarrett Allen has also been great with 13/10, and Evan Mobley continues his run for DPOY with 18/11/4/2. This team is the definition of "stay ready" — there has been no set system relying on one player to win them the game. The best example of this is Max Strus’ 17 points against Milwaukee, wherein Donovan Mitchell scored under 15. There are so many ways this Cavaliers team can beat you that it makes it extremely difficult to fight for a win: shut down Donovan Mitchell? Here are five other guys who can win us the game. The Cavaliers lead the NBA with a 53-11 record and look to extend the streak against Brooklyn on Tuesday.
Two Marquee Matchups
Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics
In the newest chapter of this iconic rivalry between these two storied franchises, the addition of Luka Dončić set the stage for a possible finals preview. The Lakers got off to a hot start, calmly navigating the Celtics' double team on LeBron and Luka, trusting their role players to knock down wide-open threes. Both teams were lighting it up from deep, going a combined 12/21 from three in the first quarter. By halftime, the Celtics led 58-54, with Jayson Tatum’s 22 points and Jaylen Brown’s 16 points responsible for the four-point lead, which by the end of the third had blossomed into a 20-point lead. Luka led the hopes for a fourth-quarter comeback, the Lakers outscoring the Celtics in the fourth by 10, but ultimately the Celtics held on for a 10-point win. The final score was 111-101 — another Jayson Tatum masterclass with 40/12/8, as well as great performances from Jaylen Brown (31/6) and Luka Dončić (34/8). This loss snapped an eight-game win streak for the Lakers and sealed the fourth straight win for the Celtics.
Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder
The battle of first and second in the West. There were no surprises as to who had their mark on this game, and they were both off to a hot start — Nikola Jokić with 14 in the first quarter, ending with 24/13/9, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 12 in the first quarter, ending with 40/8/5. The two MVP frontrunners fought an interesting matchup, yet ultimately the Thunder ran away with it in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Nuggets by 21 to take a 127-103 win. Jalen Williams was also impressive with 26/9/8, meanwhile Michael Porter Jr. had 24, Christian Braun 19, and Jamal Murray 17. After recently stealing the number one spot with a historic 30/20/20 game, Shai might pull back to first following this victory. It feels as though this is Shai’s MVP to lose.
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