One night after LeBron James dropped 56 points against the Golden State Warriors in a Saturday Night Showcase classic, the NBA showed it’s genuinely a league of “you never know what’s next” with several stellar performances.
In an overtime thriller, reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic tallied 46 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, four blocks, and three steals. Jokic scored 30 points of his 46 in the fourth quarter and the 138-130 win overtime.
“That’s just not something that you see often,” Jokic’s teammate Aaron Gordon said to ESPN. “He took over, 30 points in the fourth quarter and overtime; that’s just sick. That was just an amazing game. He’s an amazing ballplayer.”
Opening the action on Sunday was the Atlantic Division battle of the Boston Celtics and the visiting Brooklyn Nets. While the boo’s rained down on Kyrie Irving from the Boston crowd, the jumpers rained in from Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum as he lit up the rivals for 54 points. The Celtics would win 126-120 despite Kevin Durant’s 37 point effort. The Nets have now been knocked down to the ninth seed.
“As a competitor night in, night out, but especially games like this, those matchups when you’re on one of the better teams in the league with two of the best guys, just as a competitor, these are the kinds of moments that as a kid, you dreamed about and looked forward to,” Tatum said.
Tatum has tied Larry Bird for the most 50 point games in Celtics history with four.
The Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the short-handed Phoenix Suns in an NBA Finals rematch. The Suns, without Devin Booker and Chris Paul, led most of the way, showing they are ready to battle their Finals foes. Giannis Antentokounmpo fouled out 19 points, but the stage was set for sniper Kris Middleton who poured in 44 points.
“We’re just trying to lock in a little bit better,” Middleton said to ESPN. “We’ve spoken on it multiple times in the past where we’ve had these lapses and what not. We’re trying to be dialed in, trying to be your best self for 48 minutes out there.”
The action of the NBA’s final regular-season stretch continues on Monday as East contenders in the Chicago Bulls, and Philadelphia 76ers face off, along with the Warriors visiting the Nuggets and the Lakers hoping to keep wins rolling against the San Antonio Spurs.
