Jayson Tatum worked his way into the MVP conversation with an outstanding second half to the 2021-22 NBA season. While he didn't take home the award, the Boston Celtics star did earn some national recognition.
Tatum finished sixth in the MVP balloting with eight fourth-place votes and 19 fifth-place votes for a total of 43 points. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won the award for the second consecutive season with 875 points, edging out Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (706 points).
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic rounded out the top five.
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Tatum posted career-highs in points (26.9), rebounds (8.0), and assists (4.4) per game. The three-time All-Star had five games this season with 40-plus points and two with more than 50.
With Tatum leading the charge, the Celtics went 51-31 to earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings. His MVP-caliber play has propelled Boston to the second round of the playoffs, and there's potential for much more if he can keep it up.