Was Sunday the best game of Jayson Tatum’s career? The fact that you can argue that it might not have even been his best game of the past *week* says something on its own.
But such is the deliberation after Tatum erupted for 54 points on 16-of-30 shooting against the Brooklyn Nets. He made eight 3-pointers. He shot 17 free throws. He engaged in a shootout with Kevin Durant on a national-TV stage and lived to tell about it, all while carrying the Celtics to their 11th consecutive victory against a team currently in the playoff picture.
Here’s something else that is wild: Tatum’s finest play in Sunday's game didn’t even earn a tick in the box score. After the Nets made it a one-possession game with under a minute to play, Tatum got the ball with a low shot clock above the 3-point arc. When he tried to drive, Kyrie Irving shuffled over to help Seth Curry deny the drive attempt.
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Kevin Durant latest to deliver high praise for Jayson Tatum
A month ago, Tatum might have panicked and threw the ball away. Instead, he calmly zipped the ball over the top of Irving to birthday boy Marcus Smart on the wing.
A month ago, Smart might have rushed up a 3 despite the help defense rushing his way. Instead, he delivered a quick, one-touch pass to Jaylen Brown in the corner.
A month ago, Brown might have rushed up a shot despite Goran Dragic charging out to contest. Instead, Brown let him fly by, then confidently launched off the injured ankle that forced him to miss Boston’s last game and calmly canned the game-winning triple.
The NBA’s advanced tracking might eventually give Tatum credit for a hockey assist. It won’t be the only one he deserved from this game. Tatum made the right decision over and over again. Despite using an absurd 41.3 percent of Boston’s total possessions, Tatum routinely took quality shots, made the right pass, and was rewarded for all of his discipline.
There were times when Tatum could have got sucked into going shot-for-shot against Durant. Instead, he just kept making the right play. He kept playing solid defense. And, when his team needed them most, Tatum scored.
Tatum delivered two big-time buckets with Boston clinging to a one-point lead in the final 3 minutes. First he dribbled through two Brooklyn defenders (including Irving) and muscled home a layup that sent Nic Claxton flying to the ground on the baseline after Tatum drew contact near the basket.
A short time later, Tatum hit a 15-foot pull-up over Seth Curry to push him over the 50-point mark.
Maybe we shouldn't be surprised by these sort of performances. Tatum routinely shifts to another gear in the second half of NBA seasons. This was the fourth regular-season game of his career with at least 50 points. All of them have come in Game 48 or later. He’s also had 50-point nights in last year’s play-in tournament against Washington and against the Nets in Game 3 of a first-round playoff series.
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But none of those games were quite the all-around masterpiece that Sunday was. Tatum finished with 54 points on 30 shots and, despite just 3 assists, he still accounted for nearly half of Boston’s 126-point output between points and assist points. He had the occasional highlight-reel dish — like slinging a sidearm fastball from the top of the arc to set up an Al Horford 3-pointer in the third quarter. But, more often, Tatum just made the right decision.
And Tatum’s recent leap might simply boil down to that. He knows now when to be aggressive. He knows when to move the ball. He more often makes good decisions. And he’s dominating games now in crunch-time moments.
Tatum is steamrolling towards the All-NBA berth that would have earned him an extra $32.6 million on his rookie extension if it came last season. Tatum might even be an All-NBA first-teamer if he keeps up his torrid play and Boston surges into the top 4 in the East.
It feels a bit premature to suggest Tatum might have entered the MVP conversation. Well, at least until you realize that he’s helped his team upend the likes of Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Morant, and Durant as part of its recent surge.
And it’s hard to argue with Tatum’s production. Over his past 20 games, Tatum is averaging 29.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. He’s shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 36.6 percent beyond the 3-point arc in that span. The Celtics own a net rating of +21.6 in Tatum’s 705 on-court minutes in that span.
But it is what the box score can’t tell you that shows Tatum’s biggest areas of growth. His decision-making has leveled up in every aspect. He’s imposing his will even when other superstars are opposite him on the court. Tatum is just carrying himself differently.
He’s carrying himself like a true superstar. Go ahead and try to rank his best games. But remember, the just-turned-24-year-old is still evolving, and there’s almost certainly even better games ahead of him.