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BOSTON – Jayson Tatum dazzled the NBA world with an outstanding rookie regular season, but that was only a taste of what was yet to come.
During the postseason, the 20-year-old wing has taken his game to a completely different level of spectacular. And Monday night’s Game 1 effort against the Philadelphia 76ers was the greatest show he has put on yet.
Tatum tipped off the second round of the Playoffs by erupting for a career-high 28 points, making eight shots from the field and 11 more from the free-throw line, to lead the Celtics to a 117-101 win over Philly at TD Garden.
It marked the third straight game that Tatum scored 20-plus points, making him the first rookie to accomplish that feat during the postseason since Larry Bird did so in four consecutive games during the 1980 Playoffs.
“Jayson was really consistent, made some tough shots, but also got to the rim and made some plays for us,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Tatum’s Game 1 performance. “He got to the line (11-of-12), which we needed, with his drive. So, I thought he had a good game.”
Philadelphia could not find an answer to Tatum all night long, as he tallied seven or more points during all but one quarter.
He also scored in just about every possible way, whether it was from mid-range, beyond the arc, in the paint or from the free-throw line.
At the end of the day, 76ers coach Brett Brown could only shake his head and pile on the compliments.
“I thought he was great,” said Brown. “I think he’s had an exceptional year. When I watch him, he plays older than his resume suggests. He’s got a lot of bounce and a lot of game. I thought tonight he scored in a variety of ways and I thought he was excellent.”
Tatum picked a good night to have a career game, considering the fact that teammate Jaylen Brown was sidelined with a right hamstring strain. The Celtics knew they would miss Brown’s energy and athleticism, but Tatum filled that role by providing a number of highlight-reel plays on both ends of the floor.
“I loved it,” Marcus Smart said of Tatum’s spark. “We need more of that from him. He’s going to have to play like that for the rest of the time in this series in order for us to keep going the way we are going.”
All signs point to that happening, based on Tatum’s recent stretch of play.
Tatum has now scored at least 20 points during four of the last five games, and his postseason scoring average has risen up to 17.0 points per game. But he’s not just scoring the ball; he’s also making high-IQ plays, displaying great intensity and showing phenomenal poise for a young guy who is going through his very first postseason experience.
“To be able to go into the Playoffs and teams really locking into the things that you want to do and being able to make adjustments, it’s hard,” said veteran Al Horford, who tallied 26 points for the second straight game. “It’s not easy, but I think that Jayson, he’s starting to figure it out. He’s starting to understand what he needs to do and it’s great to see for our team.”
The crazy thing is that Tatum seems to be getting better and better each time he takes the court. So, who knows – maybe this recent stretch of his is only a taste of what’s to come, as well.