When Jayson Tatum does it, it’s clear to everyone in the stadium. Somehow, all fans, teammates and even opponents can do is watch him elevate his game to amazing heights. This is what happened to the Celtics’ big win over the Bulls on Saturday, where Tatum’s huge triple-double propelled the win.
But what’s unique about Tatum’s performance comes from his in-game smoothness. He wasn’t necessarily forcing shots, but he was making the right reads and making the right looks. That’s why he was able to finish with 43 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists on 9 of 15 3-point shooting. the first Celtics player to reach these lofty marks.
“He’s not like a (record-tying) player, he doesn’t do everything just for PR,” Kristaps Porzingis told reporters in Chicago, via NBC Sports Boston . “He actually plays the right game. He doesn’t always need to score. 50. He’s hungry to win, and there’s a big difference. … He’s able to do everything on the basketball court. That’s part of him.”
Joe Mazzulla, coach of the Celtics said Tatum is taken for granted and should be more in the MVP conversation. But he also acknowledged that it doesn’t help that Tatum is on a team as strong as the Celtics. Still, Mazzulla said his star player should be in more of those discussions and get more praise.
Of course, Tatum is already a proven superstar in the league. Critics lost a lot of ammunition last season when he helped lead the Celtics to the NBA championship in 2024. The victors get to write history, and Tatum’s name is firmly entrenched within the storied Celtics franchise. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also been named an All-Star the past five years, plus his first team All-NBA honors the past three seasons.
So even though Tatum doesn’t always get his flowers, all he can do is keep winning. It helps that the Celtics are once again one of the best teams in the league. They haven’t hit their prime yet, as they can wait a few more months until the NBA Playoffs, where they’ll be one of the favorites with a real shot at going back-to-back. And Tatum will once again be in the spotlight.
“He’s been doing great things for a long time,” Mazzulla said. “I still think his greatness is taken for granted because he’s been doing it for a long time and it’s relatively easy for him. And we’re in Boston, so that’s the expectation. It was a great performance by him.”
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