NBA Top Five Performances, March 1: Jayson Tatum’s 41 Point Performance Helped Boston Celtics Outduel Cleveland Cavaliers

TOP PLAYERS OF THE DAY:

The Boston Celtics lost to the top seed in the Eastern Conference Monday night after Jayson Tatum was ejected against the New York Knicks. 

Tatum bounced back from with 41 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tatum’s 18-point third quarter put Boston up big heading into the final period. 

The Cavaliers looked to orchestrate a comeback but fell short in the waning minutes. Two Tatum free throws put the game out of reach for Cleveland.

Tatum had to overcome the superstar performance of Donovan Mitchell, who had 44 points on 17 of 32 shooting. The Celtics star turns 25 tomorrow, but despite the accomplishments in his young career, he says he is just worried about playing for the moment.

“Time does fly,” Tatum said. “It’s my sixth season and I’m about to be 25. So I’m just trying to enjoy the moment and stay present.”

OTHERS:

- Brandon Ingram’s 40-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers helped the New Orleans Pelicans snap a four-game losing streak.

- Jalen Brunson’s 39 points led the New York Knicks to blowout win against the Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks won their seventh game in a row and continue to climb the Eastern standings.

- Devin Booker upstaged Kevin Durant's Phoenix Suns debut by scoring 37 points in a win against the Charlotte Hornets. Durant did add 23 points in his first game since sustaining a knee injury in early January. 

- Giannis Antetokoumpo’s 31 points lifted the Milwaukee Bucks over the Orlando Magic. The Bucks have won a league-leading 16 consecutive games.

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.