Feb 28, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) is hugged by a teammate after making the winning basket late in the fourth quarter of their 111-110 win over the Washington Wizards at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Jayson Tatum hit a clutch game-winner Sunday to spoil a great night by Bradley Beal.
The Boston Celtics entered Sunday night looking to avoid disaster. The team had a record of 16-17 and had been dealing with plenty of criticism about whether they are true contenders in the Eastern Conference. A loss to the Washington Wizards would not have been great for morale.
Jayson Tatum ended up providing the star power needed to barely get the Celtics in the win column on a night when Bradley Beal scored 46 points for the Wizards. Tatum finished with 31 points, but his final two were enough to take home the victory.
Jayson Tatum spoils a great night by Bradley Beal
Beal had a chance to outshine Tatum, but missed his game-winning shot. The win gets the Celtics to 17-17 and right in the thick of the East playoff race.
Jaylen Brown was out Sunday, leaving Tatum as the star of the show for the Celtics. Kemba Walker was able to add 21 points and Daniel Theis chipped in 20 of his own.
The Celtics are taking a lot of heat and it is easy to forget Tatum is only 22 years old. Brown is only 24 himself. The expectations are obviously sky high, however, some patience may be needed for the young stars to truly hit their peak.
Tatum has had himself a great week, as he was named an All-Star starter after Kevin Durant was ruled out of the game due to injury. Capping off the week with a game-winning shot proves why he earned that honor.
Beal made some history by scoring over 40 points in yet another Wizards loss. The good news for his team is that the All-Star break is coming up and they can reset after a rough first half.
The Celtics will go as far as Tatum takes them in 2021. Not getting rattled late and hitting a game-winner after taking some heat this week proves he is already a true star at such a young age.