Tatum still shares bond with Durant
TORONTO — When Jayson Tatum entered the NBA as a rookie in 2017, superstar forward Kevin Durant was at the height of his powers and Tatum was an admirer.
Six seasons later that admiration is still there, but it comes with a real bond.
“That’s like a brother to me, somebody I’ve gotten really close with,” Tatum said after the Celtics’ 103-92 win over Durant and the Nets on Sunday. “Obviously, competing against him a lot in the playoffs recently, known him since I was in high school, won [an Olympic] gold medal with him, worked out with a lot this summer, so somebody that I respect a lot.”
When Durant requested a trade from the Nets last summer, there were questions about whether the Celtics could make a play for the star forward to pair him with Tatum and create one of the most explosive wing pairings the game has ever seen.
The possibility was stoked a bit when pictures emerged of the two working out together while Durant’s future was still unclear.
But Durant ultimately stayed in Brooklyn, and Jaylen Brown has made his own ascension, helping the Celtics to the best record in the league.
Nevertheless, the bond between Tatum, 24, and Durant, 34, will endure.
“We talked often and in those matchups, you always enjoy somebody that has played at the highest level for as long as he has,” Tatum said.
“It brings the best out of you. So you always enjoy those matchups with one of the best players to ever play.”
Horford out
Celtics forward Al Horford missed Monday’s 116-110 win over the Raptors because of back stiffness — but it’s become clear Boston is simply trying to keep the 36-year-old big man fresh by holding him out of the second game of back-to-back sets.
Coach Joe Mazzulla said there is a chance Horford could eventually play in back-to-backs later this season, but that time has not come yet.
Guard Malcolm Brogdon sat out because of a non-COVID illness, while guard Marcus Smart returned after missing one game because of a thigh contusion and had 18 points and seven assists.
Veteran forward Blake Griffin started in place of Horford. It was the fourth start of the year for Griffin, who gathered 13 points and eight rebounds in 32 minutes.
“He’s done a great job on and off the floor,” Mazzulla said. “When he’s played for us he’s brought great physicality, he’s brought great communication. He’s brought spacing on the offensive end, screening.
“Off the floor he’s doing a great job just being a positive influence. So, just really happy to have him.”
Closing in
Center Robert Williams, who has yet to play this season as he recovers from a September maintenance surgery on his left knee, continues to ramp up workouts. Mazzulla has said Williams has completed several five-on-five scrimmages, and the team is mostly just ensuring that he’s ready for the cardiovascular aspect of his return.
“Definitely conditioning, making sure he’s in game shape,” Mazzulla said. “And making sure he responds well after each session to make sure when he does come back he can be consistent when he’s coming back.
“He’s pretty close. He’s continuing just to get in better shape. It’s been pretty good so far as far as the next day after getting that work in. So it’s just a matter of how he continues to respond to that.”