Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum’s respective seasons ended after the first round of the National Basketball Association playoffs. While dismissed early, their seasons ended with bangs, not whimpers.
Former Chaminade College Prep All-Americans, they enjoyed the best seasons of their careers in leading their respective teams to the postseason. Beal completed his ninth season with the Wizards while Tatum finished his fourth season with the Boston Celtics.
Beal averaged a career-high 31.3 points a game, which was second in the league behind Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors. It was the second consecutive season that Beal averaged more than 30 points a game. He has clearly established himself as one of the top shooting guards in the NBA.
Beal also averaged 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 35 percent from the free throw line. He was selected as a starter to the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in his career. He had a high game of 60 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 6.
The 6’10” Tatum enjoyed a brilliant fourth season in leading the Celtics to the playoffs. He was dominant averaging 26.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range.
Tatum also put together several of the top individual performances of the regular season and playoffs. He scored a career-high 60 points in a come-from-behind victory over the San Antonio Spurs on April 30.
In the Eastern Conference play-in game against Beal’s Wizards, Tatum scored 50 points to lead the Celtics to a victory and the No. 7 seed in the conference. He had another 50-point masterpiece in a victory over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs. Like Beal, Tatum was also a starter in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time.
*Illinois girls track athletes headed to state
The IHSA Girls State Track and Field Championships will be held this weekend (June 11-12) at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The metro east will be represented by Belleville West and East St. Louis, both taking a strong contingent of athletes.
Belleville West emerged as champions of the Class 3A sectional meet at O’Fallon last week. The Maroons had three sectional champions and qualified athletes in seven events and three relays for the state meet. The Class 3A meet will be held on Saturday.
The Maroons’ pair of Macee Rivers and Janaysia Byrd finished first and second in the 100-meter high hurdles. Byrd also finished first in the long jump while the 4×100- and 4×200-meter relay teams won sectional titles. The 4×100 team of Mikayla Williams, Byrd, Rivers and Maliah Sparks won in 48.8 seconds. The 4×200 crew of Graham, Lampley, Sydney Jones and Ambrosia Lampley finished first in 1:48.86. Maliah Sparks also finished second in the 400-meter dash, Rivers was second in the 100-meter dash and Haley Wangein was second in the high jump.
The top sprinter at the meet was senior Renee Raglin of Alton, who finished first in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She posted a winning time of 12.07 seconds in the 100.
The East St. Louis Flyers will be competing in the Class 2 state meet, which will be held on Friday. The Flyerettes qualified athletes in eight events and two relays, including five sectional champions.
East Side’s top individual state qualifier was Janiyah Brown, who won sectional titles in the long jump and triple jump. Brionna Graham finished first in the 300-meter low hurdles and Marika Murphy was first in the 200. The team of Graham, Lampley, Sydney Jones and Jaysha Bell finished first in the 4×100-meter relay. The Flyerettes also took home first place in the 4×200.
Other state qualifiers for East St. Louis include Jaysha Bell, who finished third in the 400, and Desire Poole, who was fourth in the shot put and third in the discus.
*Illinois Boys sectionals this week
Metro east boys track and field teams will be competing in the IHSA Class 3A sectional meet in Bloomington at 4 p.m. today (June 10.) The Class 2A sectional meet was held at Mascoutah on Wednesday.
