By Donovan Holden
These two are a couple of the league’s best scorers, and have it in them to go for 30+ points every time they lace them up. As a result they have both been honored Player of the Week, three different times this season. One led their team to an undefeated week, and the other averaged 42.7 PPG.
Eastern Conference: Jayson Tatum
- Team: Boston Celtics
- Stats: 42.7 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST
- Team Record: 2-1
The former Duke Blue Devil had himself one of the best weeks in his young career. Tatum’s most impressive night he went for 60 points in a 32-point comeback victory against the San Antonio Spurs. Those 60 points for Tatum are now a joint record with Larry Bird for the highest point total in a single game for the Celtics franchise.
In addition to tying Larry Bird’s scoring record he now is only the third player to ever record 60 points without losing the ball once. Since turnovers started being recorded in the NBA only Carmelo Anthony and Klay Thompson have also scored 60 without a turnover. This is Jayson Tatum’s third time winning Player of the Week this season (second time this month). Comparatively the fourth year Superstar is the first Celtic to accomplish this since Kevin Garnett in the 2007-08 season.
Tatum will have to keep this pace of play in order to propel the Celtics into making a deep playoff push yet again this season.
Western Conference: Devin Booker
- Team: Phoenix Suns
- Stats: 29.3 PTS, 4 REB, 3.5 AST
- Team Record: 4-0
Booker scored 30 plus points in three out of the Sun’s four games this week, and he was the only player in the West to average at least 29 points while shooting over 53% from the field. The Suns haven’t seen themselves this high in the standings at this point in a season since the end of the 2004-05 season.
The Sun’s scorching hot shooting-guard has now secured his third career Player of the Week honor of his career, with all three coming this season. Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are the only other players in the Western Conference to receive the honor three times this season.
Furthermore the Suns are the number one seed in the Western Conference. Now D-Book’s solid play is going to be of much importance if they have true Championship aspirations.
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