Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown represented the Boston Celtics well throughout NBA All-Star Weekend. They capped off the festivities with a victory in Sunday night's All-Star Game in Indiana.
Boston's beloved tandem helped the Eastern Conference All-Stars to a 211-186 victory over the Western Conference. Tatum, in his fifth All-Star appearance and second consecutive year as a starter, finished with 20 points (8-13 FG, 4-9 3-PT) in 21 minutes. Brown, in his third All-Star Game, was the East's second-highest scorer with 36 points in 22 minutes off the bench.
Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, who also won the 3-point contest for the second straight year, earned All-Star MVP honors with a team-high 39 points on 14-of-26 shooting (11-23 3-PT).
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Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton dropped 32 points in front of his home crowd. Karl-Anthony Towns had a game-high 50 points on 23-of-35 shooting (4-13 3-PT).
Here's a closer look at the performances of Tatum and Brown, including their top highlights. They'll return to the court Thursday when the first-place Celtics resume their season against the Chicago Bulls in the Windy City.
Jayson Tatum
Tatum got the party started with the opening bucket of the All-Star Game -- a corner 3-pointer:
The 25-year-old gave the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd a glimpse of what he's shown C's fans all season, drilling a stepback jumper in Stephen Curry's face:
The Brown-Tatum connection was on display late in the first half when Brown assisted on a Tatum 3:
Tatum started the second half the same way he finished the first, with another bucket from deep:
Late in the third quarter, Tatum took a break from the long-range shots and threw one down with authority:
Tatum's 20 points came on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor (4-of-9 from 3). The 2023 All-Star Game MVP also tallied three rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal.
It was a solid performance from the Celtics superstar, but his favorite highlight undoubtedly came before the opening tip. Tatum finally got the chance to meet the legendary Larry Bird for the first time, and he couldn't contain his excitement while greeting the C's all-time great.
Jaylen Brown
Brown, fresh off his second-place Slam Dunk Contest debut, was one of the game's most efficient scorers. The 27-year-old helped the East pull away early with multiple big shots, including this deep ball while the TNT broadcast interviewed Tatum:
The eight-year veteran caught fire with back-to-back buckets just before halftime:
Brown showed off his range with a shot from the logo late in the fourth quarter:
Had it not been for Lillard's 3-pointer barrage, Brown would have been strongly considered for All-Star MVP honors. He notched only three fewer points than Lillard while shooting a higher percentage (65.2 to Lillard's 53.8) from the floor. Along with his 36 points, he added eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
