Jayson Tatum is back to playing like a bonafide superstar. And Bill Russell has noticed.
The all-time great gave Tatum a shout-out on Twitter following the Celtics’ 108-90 victory over the Rockets Monday at the T.D. Garden. Tatum led the Celtic with 30 points in the winning effort. It was the fourth straight game in which he’s scored at least 30.
The highlight came Friday, when Tatum dropped 37 against the Lakers and outplayed LeBron James in a 22-point Boston win. Russell was sure to mention that in his Twitter love.
“All I’m gonna say is I see you @jaytatum0 keep up the hard work!,” Russell wrote. “It was a treat watching you put up 37 against the Lakers the other night.”
Tatum responded in kind.
The Celtics have won three straight games, and suddenly, Tatum’s early season struggles are becoming a distant memory. Perhaps most encouragingly, Tatum attempted a season-high nine free throws in the first half alone. Prior to this winning streak, he was getting to the line less often this season than last year, despite bulking up over the summer.
“The shots that he was getting, he’s knocking them down now, being extra aggressive,” coach Ime Udoka told reporters afterwards, via the Globe. “Attacking the basket a little bit more, getting more free throws … But still doing what he did early, getting the same shots that he was missing that we knew would flip eventually.”
Jaylen Brown returned to the lineup for the first time in eight games and had 19 points in 23 minutes, while Robert Williams III notched 15 rebounds in 23 minutes. The big man had been out recently as well.
The Celtics are a much better team at full strength, and on Monday, did what good teams do: bury inferior opponents. The Rockets have now lost 15 straight.
While the game was never in doubt, the Celtics put Houston away with a 24-3 run to open the third quarter.
It was a much better performance than that disastrous third quarter against Chicago to kick off the month that contributed to a historic loss.
Winners of three straight, the Celtics will face a much tougher test Wednesday when the Nets come to town. But at least the Celtics have a counter to Kevin Durant and James Harden: Jayson and Jaylen.