Four months after the basketball court was not enough to melt the Boston ice or put out the fire. In the Florida NBA bubble, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are still the same lethal Fire and Ice combination they had had during the 2019-20 season before its suspension in mid-March.
Playing in their second summer Sunday afternoon afternoon game, Brown and Tatum combined for 38 points, while playing less than 30 minutes each, to help lead Boston to the 117-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
For Brown, his 21-point performance was his second consecutive outing after leading the first Celtics players to score during Friday night’s fight against Oklahoma City. For Tatum, his effort of 17 points and nine rebounds was a strong rebound from the first scrimmage, during which he fought outside the gate.
From Kemba Walker’s point of view, it’s no surprise to see the couple who had early success this summer. He believes it relates directly to the effort they put into keeping fit during the four-month hiatus.
“JB and JT work very hard,” said Walker, who returned to action after losing the first scrimmage and recording six points during nine minutes of play. “I know the work they did during the break and that will pay off.”
“Two special talents,” he continued. “JB didn’t miss a beat, and then JT came in today, super aggressive and seeing some shots fall. I am happy for him and I hope he can continue to see the ball go in and continue where he left off before all this stopped. ”
Until now, during both scenes, Brown has led the Boston attack from the start. He scored seven points during the first quarter of the action on Friday evening, then scored another 10 points during Sunday’s opening frame.
To coach Brad Stevens, the 23-year-old winger doesn’t look any different than he did when he was in peak season in early March.
“He has always been a guy who has been very competitive, very motivated,” said Stevens. “He wants to be exceptional, so he works hard. I don’t see many changes in him from that perspective. I only see one guy who keeps adding experience to the experience. It’s a huge part of our team, of course, and we will need him to be good at having a chance. ”
The Celtics will also need Jayson Tatum to be good at having a chance, and this turned out to be true during the 98-84 defeat against Thunder on Friday night during which he scored only three points in 1 out of 6 during 18 minutes of action.
The 22-year-old All-Star also missed his first four shots from Sunday’s game, but changed as soon as he saw the ball splash into the net. After making a free-kick at the end of the first quarter, Tatum continued to score eight points in a span of three possessions, and never cooled down afterwards.
“It was cool,” said Tatum to find his shooting stream. “I think that’s why scrimmages are important: to get rid of some rust and try to get back in a rhythm and a groove. It was nice to see some shots go by. ”
When both are in a rut together, that’s when things can scare the opposition.
“You can see that the chemistry between them is real,” Deputy General Manager Mike Zarren told Celtics.com during the break. “Even on the game when Jayson was fouled, he still looked for Jaylen on the field to shoot 3 after the whistle. Those guys love to play with each other and today you might see it in the game. ”
Tatum added: “We are both just guys trying to keep finding a way, finding a way and continuing to help our team improve and compete for a championship. We are only trying to improve as individuals and to improve in playing with each other. ”
