There Is No Doubt Anymore: Jayson Tatum Is A Superstar
BOSTON (CBS) -- You can go ahead and end any and all debate over Jayson Tatum being an NBA superstar. There is no question that the Celtics star has elevated himself and his game to that elite status in the league.
Tatum continues to handle any and every challenge that comes his way, and Sunday's epic performance against the Brooklyn Nets was perhaps his best performance yet. In a huge game for Boston on the national stage, Tatum was once again the best player on the court. On a day in which both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving took the TD Garden floor, Tatum was the best player of the bunch. He led the Celtics to a hard-fought 126-120 victory with an incredible 54-point performance.
Tatum simply could not be stopped, hitting 16 of his 30 shots from the floor. Though half of his makes came from downtown, Tatum also went into his bag of tricks a number of times as he outdueled Durant and company down the stretch to lead Boston to its thrilling victory.
Tatum was dominant in crunch time, whether he was hitting contested threes or breaking ankles on his way to the cup. It didn't really matter who was guarding him; Tatum was going to score or make a play that put someone else in green in a position to score. He only finished with three assists in the game, but he was reading Brooklyn's defense to near perfection, using double-teams to his advantage to start some incredible ball movement for the Celtics.
He scored 18 of his points in the fourth quarter as the Nets made things interesting. In a close game with two of the most lethal scorers in the league on the other side, Tatum never backed down from the challenge in front of him. He put the Celtics on his back and led the team to its third straight win.
"When you kind of get in that zone, the basket just seems to be a little bit bigger," Tatum said after the victory. "You feel just a little bit better about yourself getting to your spots. Ultimately, was just trying to make the right play."
The biggest question surrounding Tatum heading into the season was whether or not he could carry this team. That has been answered with an emphatic "Yes!" since January, as Tatum and the Celtics have taken things to a completely new level. No one questioned Tatum's ability to put the ball in the basket, but his poor shooting to start the season had some wondering if there was too much pressure on the young star.
If there is, it isn't bothering the Boston All-Star. He outdueled Durant on offense on Sunday and held his own on defense despite Durant's 37 points. Whenever Boston needed a bucket down the stretch, Tatum made sure the ball went in one way or another.
"As a competitor, these are the kind of moments that as a kid you dream about and look forward to. When those opportunities come, you try to make the most of them," he said.
Asked what the difference was on Sunday, Irving simply said "Jayson Tatum." Jaylen Brown called his teammate unstoppable as the duo shared the postgame podium. Ime Udoka was impressed by the performance, but not surprised by what he saw.
These are the kinds of games that the Celtics have come to expect out of No. 0. Tatum is no longer just a scorer, but an all-around stud who continues to climb closer and closer to his ceiling.
"He's been doing this his whole life, man. Ever since he got here," said Marcus Smart. "He's reading the game the right way. He's letting the game come to him and he's picking his spots, doing what he does. So for us and for Jayson, his growth is very, very important, and he's been showing not just himself, but also us and everybody in the world that he knows what he wants to work on, and he's doing it. He's playing the game a lot smarter and it's showing."
Tatum's epic Sunday closed out an incredible week for the young star. It began Monday night with 33 points against the Atlanta Hawks in which he outdueled Trae Young (31 points). On Thursday night, he scored 37 as he went bucket-for-bucket with Ja Morant (38 points) of the Grizzles. He finished off a perfect 3-for-3 week for Boston by outdueling Durant.
All three of the players that Tatum bested last week are professional assassins with the basketball. Tatum is now in that conversation as well. He is a special player, one that doesn't come along very often.
Sunday was the fourth 50-point game of Tatum's career, tying him with legend Larry Bird for the most in team history. Tatum, who turned 24 last Thursday, will own the honor all to his own soon enough.
In just over a month, we'll see if he can lead the Celtics when it matters most. The run that Tatum and the Celtics are on at the moment inspires plenty of hope and confidence that he'll be able to do just that.
