Jayson Tatum Ranking Among NBA's Elite In Clutch Scoring
BOSTON (CBS) -- Celtics rookie forward Jayson Tatum has been quite impressive for a 19-year-old so far. But did you know that he's also been quite clutch?
Tatum has scored 39 points in clutch-time situations, which the NBA defines as a point differential within five and five minutes or less remaining in the game. He is tied for 12th in the NBA in clutch-time points entering Monday, along with the Pelicans' DeMarcus Cousins.
The rookie's high ranking in clutch-time scoring is even more impressive when you consider the players he ranks among on the list: LeBron James (81), his teammate Kyrie Irving (77), and Portland's Damian Lillard (61) are 1-2-3 in the league. Tatum is just ahead of the Pacers' Victor Oladipo (37) and the Knicks' Kristaps Porzingis (36) on the list.
Irving didn't seem surprised that Tatum, who drained a big three-pointer to put the Celtics up eight with just two minutes left in their win over Detroit on Sunday, is already making big plays in big moments. He believes the rookie has that "clutch gene."
"Some people have it and some people don't. It's just as simple as that," Irving told reporters after the game. "I think he's pretty much shown that he can play, as people say, with the big boys at the end of the game, without wavering in terms of his decision-making or anything like that.
"He knows where his opportunities will be, especially down the stretch."
Tatum is sixth among qualified NBA rookies with 14.1 points per game. His .523 three-point percentage, however, is easily the highest mark among all qualified players. The clutch stats are just another example of why he looks like a special talent.
