BOSTON -- For a good chunk of this season, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been a two-man relay team for the Boston Celtics, handing off one stretch of brilliance offensively to the other.
Friday’s 129-117 win over the Cavs was yet another game in which the dynamic duo of the Celtics managed to have a major impact on the game in stretches in seamless fashion.
Brown would finish with a career-high 34 points which included him scoring Boston’s first seven points of the game, and 12 total in the first quarter. The second quarter belonged to Tatum who lit the Cavs up for 15 points which helped fuel a 62-45 Boston lead at the half.
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Any time teammates can go off for 30 points in the same game, it’s an impressive feat.
But it stands out even more with these guys when you consider neither player has hit his 25th birthday yet, a reminder that their best days in this league are likely on the horizon.
And that gives this duo the potential to be doing laps around the rest of the NBA for quite some time.
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FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS
Considering how well Boston played on Christmas Day against one of the better teams in the East followed by an early start time against a Cleveland team that’s nowhere close to being a playoff contender, it would have been understandable if the Celtics didn’t come out with the right kind of focus.
But to their credit, they approached this game no differently than ones against playoff-caliber squads.
And as the game wore on, they gradually wore down the Cavs before cruising to an easy win.
That is the sign of a team that continues to defy logic in terms of their consistent approach to all games, regardless of the opponent.
Even when they clear the bench, their end-of-the-line reserves come in and show few signs of letting up.
There is a top-to-bottom thirst about this team that’s refreshing not only in comparison to last season’s team but relative to the NBA as a whole.
WHO DO YOU LOVE?
Kevin Love’s name will continue to be floated about as potentially being on the move as the Cavs continue to sink at a time when his play seems to keep getting better with time.
The Celtics never really had an answer for how to limit Kevin Love’s inside-outside game. He would lead all Cavs with 30 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists.
While it remains highly unlikely the Celtics would consider making a play for acquiring Love, he continues to show that he has value - tremendous value - to any team that makes a move on acquiring him prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
WELCOME TO THE BLOCK PARTY
It may be hard for some to believe this, but the Boston Celtics this season have been among the league’s best when it comes to blocking shots. They were at it again on Friday as they tallied 10 blocks - four above their season average which prior to Friday’s game ranked sixth in the NBA.
What makes their swat team performances so impressive, is that they tend to get guys chipping in with blocks that well, don’t come to mind when it comes to blocked shots.
Jayson Tatum and Daniel Theis blocking a couple of shots?
OK, I can see that.
But 6-foot-1 Kemba Walker tallying a pair of blocked shots?
Unusual, indeed.
More than anything, it speaks to how this team has found a way to impact games with contributions coming from anyone on the floor - even guards playing like bigs.
Don't miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Raptors-Celtics, which tips off Saturday at 6 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live, and then Mike and Tommy have the call at 7 p.m. You can also stream the game on the MyTeams App.
