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Old fashioned shootout at TD Garden - Jayson Tatum vs. Kevin Durant

 This was a really good one. The game brought back memories of Larry Bird facing down Dominique Wilkins. It initially looked like Kevin Durant was unstoppable in his role as the Boston Strangler - that is, until Jayson Tatum decided he wasn't going to let that happen.


This was the Earps and Doc Holliday against the Clantons and McLaurys at the OK Corral. The Boston Celtics came away with the win, 126-120 with Tatum tying Larry Bird for most 50-point games. He had 54 points in this one. 

But Jaylen Brown did a fine job in his role as Doc Holiday to Jayson's Wyatt Earp, coming away with 21 points despite a recent ankle injury. Jaylen bested the much-booed Kyrie Irving's 19-point production and needs some recognition here for realizing the importance of this contest.

But the big story is the battle of two of the most-skilled scorers in the NBA, Durant and Tatum. Kevin put up 37 points, and I have never seen a player score major points with seemingly so little effort. But Tatum has that quality in him. Being in the same conversation as Larry Legend at such a young age truly means something.

Jayson Tatum as a future MVP can no longer be ruled out. I have been using the term "transcendent" in connection with Jayson Tatum for some time now.  I don't employ it loosely.

Transcendent:

"beyond or above the range of normal or merely physical human experience."
"surpassing the ordinary; exceptional.""

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