Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics needed revenge to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season, and on Saturday night the five-time All-Star delivered — historically.
Tatum scored a game-high 43 points to go along with 15 rebounds and 10 assists, making the 26-year-old the first player in Celtics history to record a 40-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist triple-double — he’s also the 12th in NBA history to do so. But more importantly, it allowed the Celtics to shake off Thursday night’s loss with a dominant 123-98 victory over the Chicago Bulls at United Center.
“It just kind of felt like he was playing, playing in a rhythm and then all of a sudden once he starts hitting shots, getting to the hoop, it was like an avalanche,” Kristaps Porzingis told reporters, as seen on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “And a beautiful overall game from him, even though it looks like he stole a couple of my rebounds. They gave it to him but it’s OK it’s JT. … Those are the best kind of games — when you’re not forcing anything. He wasn’t forcing anything. He was just making the right play. And most of the time making the right play is just him attacking, him creating something for us. And tonight he did that at a super high level.”
Boston and Chicago went toe-to-toe despite what the final score might suggest, but Tatum was the difference-maker. The Bulls trailed by only five points midway through the third quarter, giving Chicago plenty of time to put the Celtics away again, however, Tatum’s urgency to attack ensured there’d be no chance at déjà vu.
Tatum scored 27 points in the second half — including 18 in the third quarter — and ended the night draining nine 3-pointers, putting him in position to record his first triple-double of the season once the fourth quarter came around. However, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reaffirmed that notching the triple-double was the least of Tatum’s concerns.
Story continues below advertisement
When asked if Tatum requested to be inserted to tally the final assist needed to capture the triple-double, Mazzulla responded bluntly.
“He would not lobby for that,” Mazzulla told to reporters, as seen on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “No, he would not. There’s been a few times where I’ve actually not been paying attention and I didn’t put him in and afterward, I had to apologize to him because sometimes I feel like sometimes because of what our guys do for each other you should reward that.”
Tatum’s ability to overcome the outside discourse, which was put on display during last season’s NBA Finals, remains among the eight-year veteran’s greatest strengths. Mazzulla understands the scrutiny that Tatum’s performances are run through each night, only making the third-year head coach more appreciative of what he brings to the table.
“I think any time you see a guy play like that, you’re just kind of fascinated by it,” Mazzulla said. “But I thought he did it within the flow of the game. I don’t think he went outside of what we do and that’s a testament to him. Just his shot-making, his decision-making and his ability to rebound. It’s just great. I thought he controlled the entire game with his poise and decision-making and took what the defense gave him.”
Story continues below advertisement
Mazzulla added: “I still think he gets taken for granted.”
