Donovan Mitchell, NBA Twitter in awe of Tatum's 50-point masterpiece

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Jayson Tatum admitted his goal was to be the best player on the floor Tuesday night. Consider that mission accomplished.

The Boston Celtics star exploded for 50 points on 14-of-32 shooting and hit all 17 of his free throws in a 118-100 win over the Washington Wizards in the NBA play-in tournament. Tatum's effort -- his third 50-plus-point game in a span of 39 days -- lifted the C's into the NBA playoffs, where they'll face the No. 2 seed Brooklyn Nets as the No. 7 seed in the first round.

Tatum's big game in front of a national audience didn't go unnoticed on social media, where NBA stars past and present reacted as the 23-year-old took his game to new heights.

Tatum makes statement with dominant performance vs. Wizards

Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who played with Tatum on the United States' FIBA World Cup team in 2019, summed up Tatum's heroics in three words and a emoji.

Celtics center-turned-NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins shared a similar reaction, albeit with more colorful language:

Former Duke stars Nolan Smith and Jay Williams also sung the praises of their fellow Blue Devil, as did several NBA media members.

Even The Iron Sheik weighed in.

Tatum clearly has ascended to superstar status, and the NBA community is taking notice.

The 23-year-old will need to be on his game in the first round against the Nets juggernaut of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Game 1 is set for Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.

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