Chowder and Champions
Fansided

Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum’s monster game caps winning week

By Jason Haskins

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 9: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics loses control of the ball in the second half against Ricky Rubio #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves at TD Garden on April 9, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 9: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics loses control of the ball in the second half against Ricky Rubio #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves at TD Garden on April 9, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Instances in which a single player seemingly wills a team to victory has happened a handful of times in the storied history of the Boston Celtics. From Sam Jones to Larry Bird to Isaiah Thomas, 50-point games have been something to marvel at.

Jayson Tatum fully etched his name into that club Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

More from Chowder and Champions

Tatum scored a career-high 53 points — including 17 in a monster third quarter — as the Celtics roared back to defeat Minnesota 145-136 in overtime.

The victory capped off a 3-1 week for the Celtics (27-26), who moved up a spot from eighth place to seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings. Boston sits one game back of fourth-seed Charlotte.

Tatum’s career-game was fueled, in part, by a technical foul he received late in the second quarter for slamming the ball in frustration. (An iffy call at best, but one that has been called at all levels of play through the ages.)

It was also a game in which the early-game shooting woes of Tatum have hopefully been solved, as he went 16-25 from the field and 6-10 from deep. It was also Tatum’s second game in a row with 10 rebounds and he also helped propel Boston to wins this last week over Charlotte (22 points, eight rebounds) and the New York Knicks (25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists).

Tatum, despite some troubles turning the ball over as well, seems to be regaining form and shaking off the effects from having COVID-19 back in January. The turnovers — he had eight against the Knicks — can be pushed aside as long as the Celtics are winning.

Boston is playing better as of late and sharing the ball has been a huge reason why. The Celtics averaged nearly 28 assists in their victories last week and had only 19 in their loss to Philadelphia.

Getting everyone involved is a must, even as Tatum is appreciated for his superstar game on Friday night. It was truly a memorable performance, one that hopefully rubs off on teammates and keeps the Celtics rolling.

Boston Celtics: Weekly player spotlight

Tatum is thriving and has been doing a little bit of everything, more so as of late. Boston is 6-3 in the last nine games and Tatum has been filling out the box score. He’s averaging 29.6 points and 7.8 rebounds and also has nine steals.

The other half of the dynamic duo, Jaylen Brown, is continuing to do outstanding things as well. After starting the week out quietly with a couple of 17-point efforts, Brown finished strongly with 32 against the Knicks and 26 against Minnesota.

Getting Brown more looks might be needed, though he continues to be efficient with his field goal shooting, twice connecting on 60 percent from the field last week.

Marcus Smart also finished the week on a high note, scoring 24 points against Minnesota and 17 against the Knicks. Smart scored 12 in the fourth-quarter against New York and also had nine assists for the game.

His three-point shooting was also something to marvel at during last week’s games. Smart was only 1-3 from deep in the loss to Philadelphia, but was a combined 11-21 in the three victories.

There was a nice balance for Smart most of the week between playing in control and playing energized. When he’s able to control the flow and control his play, the Celtics are a much better team.

Boston welcomed back Tristan Thompson to the court against New York and Romeo Langford made his season debut in the victory over Charlotte.

Their returns were timely as Evan Fournier was forced off the court due to health and safety protocols for the last three games.

Boston Celtics: Upcoming week

Avoiding the play-in games is something Boston needs to do. A successful upcoming road trip could help the Celtics finally get back into the top-six of the Eastern Conference.

Action starts on Sunday (4/11) in Denver, where Boston hopes to sweep the season series from the Nuggets. Boston won by 13 back on February 16.

Next up is a trip to Portland (4/13), where the Trail Blazers and Celtics will meet for the first time this season.

Looming large and closing out the road trip is a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Boston came up short with a one-point loss to the Lakers back in January. The good news is that Los Angeles has been struggling with LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined. It is being speculated, however, that Davis may return to the lineup on Friday against the Celtics.

The week closes out next Saturday (4/17) when Boston returns home to face the Golden State Warriors, a team they defeated by four earlier this season.

Next. Boston Celtics: Evan Fournier making an impact. dark

Defeating the three teams that currently sit 4th thru 6th in the Western Conference will be no easy feat for the Boston Celtics. Playing team ball with plenty of contributions from the bench will be needed if Boston is to put together another winning week.

And hey, if Tatum wants to toss another 50-point game in there, no one will be complaining.

Home/Boston Celtics