"Not quite as well my right ankle": Celtics' star Jayson Tatum provides update on his ankle injury scare against ClippersÂ
Jayson Tatum returned from a short injury and led the Boston Celtics to a blowout victory on the road against the LA Clippers by a margin of 35 points, 145-108. This is the Celtics' 22nd victory of the season, and they remain top of the NBA Eastern Conference standings.
Tatum missed the Celtics matchup with the Sacramento Kings with an ankle injury, but the team still managed to pick up the win. That was the only game the four-time NBA All-Star missed as he returned to battle the LA Clippers two days before Christmas.
In his return game, Tatum didn't seem to miss a beat as he tallied 30 points, four rebounds, five three-pointers, two assists and one steal. He also shot 9-of-16 from the field and 50% of his 10 three-point attempts.
After the matchup, the former Duke Blue Devil was asked about his injury following a brief scare of twisting the ankle again during the game.
"I feel well enough to play," answered Tatum. "Not as well as my right ankle but it definitely healed up the past couple of days. I just want to come out here to play."
Jayson Tatum pinpoints sole factor as unstoppable Celtics' rout Clippers in blowout win
In a game that involved going up against James Harden, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, the Boston Celtics knew that they had to bring their best and could not sleep against a team like the LA Clippers.
This matchup showed why the Celtics are on top of the NBA Eastern Conference standings and tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the best record in the league.
Jayson Tatum got help mainly from Jaylen Brown, who had 24 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal, while Jrue Holiday shot 8-of-12 from the field to finish the game with 20 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four three-pointers. Derrick White also had a commendable game with 18 points.
"We have been playing the right way," said Tatum on the team's formula to success. "We are just shooting the ball really well. We continue to create advantages and everybody on the court can shoot. It is hard to help against us, it is hard to guard us one-on-one. We just create a lot of problems."
The Celtics are now on back-to-back wins and will be staying in Los Angeles as they take on a marquee matchup on Christmas Day against the Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena.