Following standout performances from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics cruised to a 139-96 blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, improving to an NBA-best 37-15.
Tatum and Brown each surpassed 25 points in the same game for the 27th time this season. According to ESPN Stats and Info, that’s the most 25-plus point games by a pair of teammates ahead of the All-Star break in NBA history.
On Wednesday night, Tatum led all scorers, finishing 12-of-19 from the field and 7-of-12 from three to end the night with 31 points. Meanwhile, Brown had 26 points, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 7-of-12 from beyond the arc.
Tatum ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 31.1 points per game over 48 games. The three-time All-Star trails only the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.8), Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic (33.4), and Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid (33.6).
Over 45 games, Brown is averaging 27.0 points per game, good enough for 14th in the NBA.
Tatum and Brown are one of only two sets of teammates to rank among the top 20 in scoring this season, joining the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Durant ranks ninth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 29.7 points, while Irving’s 27.3 points are 11th in the league.
Behind Tatum and Brown, the Celtics lead the Eastern Conference posting 117.8 points per game, trailing only the Golden State Warriors (118.1) and Sacramento Kings (119.5) for the league lead.
Last week, the Celtics dropped three in a row for only the second time this season but have since won two straight after Wednesday’s victory. Winners of 11 of their last 14 games, the Celtics remain atop the Eastern Conference standings, holding a 2.5-game lead over the second-place Bucks.
