For the first time since joining the Los Angeles Clippers, Daniel Theis faced off against the Boston Celtics, the team he’d previously spent five seasons playing for.
It didn’t go well.
Aside from taking part in being handed a jaw-dropping 145-108 defeat from the Celtics on Saturday night, Theis appeared almost targeted by his former teammates — on several instances. It was clear that Theis would receive no preferential treatment, regardless of whatever off-court love might still be in place for the 31-year-old veteran.
First, in the first quarter, Jayson Tatum delivered a vicious poster-worthy dunk over Theis, showing no mercy. Both Tatum and Theis kicked off their respective NBA careers as Celtics teammates during the 2017-18 season.
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“I drove baseline, he jumped early and I just took a spin move and seen my old teammate Theis and the rest was history,” Tatum said postgame, according to Jared Weiss of The Atheltic.
That wouldn’t be the end of the infamous and never-ending “War on Theis” that was birthed in Boston and has made its way out to Los Angeles.
Jaylen Brown tried the same in the fourth quarter, barely missing what would’ve been a qualifier for one of the 27-year-old’s best dunks this season. It also would’ve given Brown bragging rights over Tatum, but Theis was fortunate enough to escape a second poster slam.
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That — also — wasn’t the end.
Derrick White went after Theis, drawing back-to-back fouls in consecutive possessions to get to the free-throw line, sprinkling in five points in under a minute — and pushing Boston’s lead to 120-91 over Los Angeles.
Overshadowed in Boston’s blowout win, Theis wrapped up a solid night of his own, scoring 15 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting night off the bench.
Featured image via Jonathan Hui/USA TODAY Sports Images
