Jayson Tatum talks the Celtics hot start to the season after fifth straight win over the Denver Nuggets.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown keep getting better and better, and that ascension has been on display for everyone in the NBA to see through the first month of the season.
Tatum and Brown led the Boston Celtics to a 131-112 win over two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at TD Garden. Tatum scored a game-high 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting, along with eight rebounds and five assists. Brown poured in 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting with eight rebounds and eight assists.
Scalabrine: Jayson Tatum 'should be the favorite' for MVP
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As a result, Brown and Tatum became the first pair of teammates to score 300-plus points each this season.
Here's a look at all 11 players who've scored 300 or more points this season:
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics: 377 points
- Kevin Durant, Nets: 370
- Luka Doncic, Mavericks: 370
- Stephen Curry, Warriors: 366
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers: 348
- Ja Morant, Grizzlies: 345
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder: 336
- Devin Booker, Suns: 320
- DeMar DeRozan, Bulls: 318
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics: 304
- Trae Young, Hawks: 302
Tatum is averaging a career-high 31.4 points per game. At this rate, he has a legitimate chance to challenge Larry Bird's team record of 29.9 points per game over a full season. Brown is averaging a career-high 25.3 points per game. Both of them also are shooting a career best from the free throw line.
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The Celtics have not been as dominant defensively as they were during the second half of last season and the 2022 playoffs. Some of that is due to the absence of injured center Robert Williams.
The Celtics might not need to be one of the top three defensive teams to get back to the NBA Finals, though. Not only are Tatum and Brown taking their scoring to a higher level, the bench also has been more consistent and more productive through the first 11 games.