Kawhi Leonard praises Jayson Tatum after Celtics star's epic game vs. Clippers

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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum showed the NBA world he is ready for superstardom Thursday night in a career performance against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Tatum dropped 39 points and played fantastic defense to lift the Celtics to a 141-133 victory in double overtime at TD Garden. Perhaps the most impressive part of Tatum's epic game was his success against one of the league's best players in Kawhi Leonard.

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Leonard is the reigning NBA Finals MVP and arguably the game's premier two-way player. Tatum had his way against Leonard at both ends of the court. He shot 3-for-3 (1-for-1 from 3-point range) with two free throws for nine points when Leonard was his primary defender. The Celtics star guarded Leonard on 24 defensive possessions and held the Clippers forward to 4-for-12 shooting and just eight points. Leonard shot a lackluster 1-for-6 versus Tatum in the overtime periods.

Here's what Leonard said about Tatum's performance and overall improvement following Boston's victory.

Tatum looked like a future top 10 player following a tremendous rookie season. After a somewhat disappointing sophomore campaign, Tatum has quickly re-established himself as one of the league's best young players and a future superstar. His ability to dominate games at both ends of the floor against elite teams is not common, and it's a talent only a select few players possess. 

Tatum will make his first NBA All-Star appearance Sunday night at just 21 years old. It's another milestone in what's shaping up to be a transformative season for the Celtics forward.

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