Jayson Tatum put on an absolute show Saturday night, dropping a monster triple-double that put him in the same breath as James Harden in the NBA history books.
The Celtics star was practically unstoppable, leading Boston to a 25-point blowout win over the Bulls in Chicago. His stat line? A jaw-dropping 43 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists.
But it’s how he got there that’s really special.
Tatum was on fire from long range, hitting 9 of 15 three-pointers. Overall, he shot an incredible 16-for-24 from the field.
“Some nights, you just feel really good,” Tatum said after the game. “Shots going in. The ball is hot. You’re in the right spots.”
What makes this performance historic? He’s now the first Celtic ever to put up those kinds of numbers in a triple-double. But there’s more.
Only one other player in NBA history has ever recorded a triple-double with at least 40 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and nine three-pointers. That was James Harden, who did it on New Year’s Eve 2016 with a 53-point, 16-rebound, 17-assist masterpiece.
The win pushed Boston’s record to 22-6, keeping them right behind the Cavaliers as Christmas approaches. They’re looking ahead to some big holiday matchups against the 76ers and the surging Magic.
Tatum’s incredible night also boosted his scoring average to just over 28 points per game. It’s performances like these that have NBA sportsbooks listing him among the MVP favorites, right up there with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
“The big guys, they did a great job of screening,” Tatum added. “We got guys who space the ball, so if you help too much, I kick it out. If you don’t, then I get to do my thing.”
And boy, did he ever do his thing.
