If the Boston Celtics had lost tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, it would have been the first time that the Celtics lost three games in a row this season. However, Jayson Tatum did not want that record on his slate. He channelized his hero, the late great Kobe Bryant, to lead his team to victory.
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In the last few seconds of regulation time, the Lakers were leading by just 2 points. But Tatum did not do go down without a fight. He pulled a double and tied the game, forcing the game to go to overtime. At the end of the night, the Celtics won against the Lakers 122-118.
Fans went gaga over Jayson Tatum, who showed a “vintage Kobe Bryant” display with his dominant performance against LeBron James’ Lakers.
Here are some of the reactions from NBA Twitter:
JAYSON TATUM LOOKING LIKE VINTAGE KOBE AGAINST LEBRON pic.twitter.com/KyQioklKT9
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) December 14, 2022
JAYSON TATUM JUST PUT THE KOBE MOVES ON LEBRON TO TIE THE GAME pic.twitter.com/sdF2H23LeZ
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 14, 2022
Shoutout to Jayson Tatum tho, he’s gotten better and better every year.
Kobe would be proud pic.twitter.com/zPaGe1Hs3F
— CarlosStory (@CarlosxcStory) December 14, 2022
Jayson Tatum hitting the Kobe fade in Staples over Lebron to go to OT is poetry
— DuhKari 🍊 (@KariBomaye) December 14, 2022
Jayson tatum looking like Kobe right there 🥶
— 5$tar🍀 (@tyharpzz) December 14, 2022
Jayson Tatum did that for Kobe
— Big Boss Deez (@k1ngdeezy) December 14, 2022
Tatum’s association with Kobe Bryant has not been anything new. Jayson Tatum has always called him his “idol” and “inspiration”. He has even worn Kobe’s number on his arm and has openly discussed how much Kobe Bryant has influenced him.
His mother, Brandy Cole, once said that when she asked a younger Tatum, what his aspiration was, “His first answer in life was, ‘Kobe'”.
The comeback of the Celtics and their star, Jayson Tatum
The Boston Celtics have a great record this season at 22-7, while the?Los Angeles Lakers are only at 11-16. Though Anthony Davis and LeBron James put up 37 and 33 points respectively, Jayson Tatum exploded with 44 points on the night.
He was arguably a one-man army for his team as the second-highest scorer for the Celtics managed to score just over half of what he scored with 25 points.
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Tatum had a lot to prove going into this game, after back-to-back losses. On Saturday night, the Celtics’ loss to the Golden State Warriors?left fans questioning his MVP credentials. Jayson Tatum admitted?that his “touch was off“. This time around, he let the ball do the talking with this amazing comeback.
Watch This Story: Jayson Tatum’s 4-Word Message to Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant Before Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals
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The Crypto.com Arena saw two dynasties play against each other on Tuesday night, with both teams putting up some nail-biting moments. Tatum was able to pull off the tie score because AD missed a pair of free throws. And during the OT, the Lakers scored 4 points thanks to Russell Westbrook. But that didn’t do much for the Lakers as the Celtics still took the cake in the end.
What did you think of Tatum’s performance vs the Lakers? Let us know in the comments below.