Boston Celtics: ‘Destined for greatness,’ Jayson Tatum drops 60 on Spurs

Down as many as 32 points to the San Antonio Spurs, the Boston Celtics needed Larry Bird to come walking through that door and well…he kind of did.

Basically booed off the parquet floor at half time, the Celtics new young star Jayson Tatum took the team on his shoulders and led the team to the most epic comeback in franchise history by typing the team’s record for most points in the game.

Listen, there is no comparing Tatum to Bird as they are both two completely different players but scoring 60 points in the team’s 143-140 overtime win over San Antonio has to have Celtics fans smiling.

In playing 45 minutes, Tatum went 20-of-37 from the field, displaying that “alpha dog” mentality by driving to the hoop, shooting the 3-ball with efficiency (5-for-7 from beyond the 3-point stripe” and contributing on the boards with eight rebounds.

Absolutely amazing.

He didn’t do it alone, however, but doing everything in his will to help his team from hitting rock bottom for the hundredth time this season, Tatum’s performance had fellow All-Star and teammate Jaylen Brown glimmering after the game.

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"“JT really was outstanding tonight,” Brown said after the game, as transcribed by NESN.  “You really got to tip your cap.  That boy is destined for greatness.  I couldn’t throw the rock into the ocean tonight and JT carried us to a win.  He played hard and he led us tonight.  There’s going to be night where it’s going to be other ways, but tonight, JT was outstanding.”"

With multiple 50-plus point performances this season, there is no doubt that greatness is his destiny despite all the hit he and his team have taken this season.  Perhaps the epic comeback has awakened the entire team.

Boston Celtics finally show some resiliency

The fact that it took the third-largest comeback in NBA history to beat a team barely .500 at home is another story, but what Celtics fans witnessed is a resiliency that has been missing most of the season.  An attribute Brad Stevens was certainly happy to see Friday night at TD Garden.

While the tale of two halves pretty much defined the 2020-21 Boston Celtics, that since of urgency displayed, particularly from stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown was great to see and was a sign that perhaps these two young stars can be the leaders some critics question that they can be.

Without Kemba Walker and a poor team performance in the first half both offensively and defensively, the Celtics simply needed a boost.  It took 60 points from a young stud barely 22 years old, but they got it.  They erased a 32-point deficit by leaning on his shoulders.

No, Larry Bird didn’t come walking through that door, but Jayson Tatum did and helped defined his team’s change of attitude and intensity following halftime.

"“To be down 30, down some guys, and come back in overtime and win, and have everyone contribute, there’s nothing like it,” Tatum said, via NBC Sports Boston.  “We really just asked ourselves, ‘Who do we want to be? Obviously, we know that was embarrassing the way we played in the first half, and regardless if we won or not, just how we were going to come out in the second half and compete.  We did it,”"

Yes, the did.  Now, can we finally get the real Boston Celtics the rest of the season and into the playoffs?